Until the Day I Die: Scarlet Spring
by BluBooThalassophile
Summary: This was not the reunion Sasuke had in mind. A teary eyed daughter, a kidnapped wife - who are these children! Even the mystery chakra he'd been tracking too? The dobe is so dead. Time for a new Hokage.
1. Chapter 1

**I Do Not Own Naruto**

 **Chapter 1**

Eight years, almost nine years, of being away from Sakura and Sarada, all he had were two tattered pictures which were fading. But he knew every line, every shade, every color and every angle of the faces in those photos.

Pink hair, green eyes, lips curved in a slight, mysterious smile, a mark on her brow he would often times find himself tracing with his only hand. A face he'd wake seeing, he could sometimes even swear to feeling her body against his when he'd wake. The memories he'd see with his Sharingan, they were so vivid and real that there were times he'd think he'd trap himself in some elaborate genjutsu; which he would not put not put past himself to do after all the hells he had endured.

Which brought him to today as he wrote a missive to Naruto to meet him at an out post, he was holding up his end of the bargain and he swore Naruto to secrecy about this meeting.

The last thing he wanted to do was interrupt the lives of his wife and daughter since they had more than likely moved on by now. He wouldn't blame them if they had left him behind by now, Kami knew he wasn't much of a husband and he was even less of a father than anyone he knew of. Hell, even his own father had been more a father than he had been. Summoning a hawk he slipped the letter on it's back then sent it off as he made himself comfortable in the abandoned outpost.

Eight years was probably not enough time still for people to be comfortable around him. If he were honest; and he had made it a point to always be honest with himself at the very least; then he could accept that people would probably never accept or be comfortable around him, and he'd never be comfortable around them either. Even Team Taka was uneasy with him. But he had earned that, he knew this as he sat on the wall and pulled out his favorite, and the only photo which was proof of his marriage. He hadn't let her have this one, he hadn't even told her he had kept it or that he had it.

The day he had married her.

It had been a really bad day in terms of weather and the village had been against it. Even her best friend had scolded her for her choice. In the end, their wedding had been performed by their former sensei and then current Hokage, and the dobe with his wife there. Though he was pretty sure Hinata was supposed to be Sakura's voice of 'Do Not Do This!' it hadn't really stopped the marriage.

The wedding was quiet, there was no celebration, no after party, no nothing, just a ceremony, a congratulations and good luck.

The rain had been merciless that day, he smirked at the memory. Sakura had dragged him through the rain as they returned to the Uchiha compound for one of the best nights of his life. And no, that was not biases as he sat against the wall staring at the only evidence of his marriage.

A faded photo of beautiful young woman who had been twenty years old, in a borrowed silk dress she had bought for the day, and a happy smile. Then there was him; dressed in black, and looking indifferent. It was probably for the best that she didn't have the photo… he thought with a smirk as he slipped it into the pocket near his heart and closed his eyes for a moment of rest.

He was a horrible husband, he knew it.

The first years of his hunting he had slowly stopped writing his letters, not because he didn't want to write them or because he didn't feel they weren't important; but because eventually it hurt to write her, to read letters from her when he couldn't have her. No doubt she probably wanted to punch a hole in his gut for that… perhaps Susanoo could hold up against one of his wife's temper out bursts… then again, maybe not.

By the end of year five he and she had practically stopped writing one another, he didn't really write anyone; not even the dobe or Kakashi about what he was up to or how things were going. She still received the most letters from him, but he didn't write his daughter and he didn't ask her to write him. He was not good with keeping in touch with others and he knew it so he didn't really try anymore.

She understood, he knew she did, but he also knew why they didn't write one another very often anymore. It hurt them both, and neither of them had ever liked hurting after all the hurt they had endured before their marriage, and all the pain the council forced on them. And in a way, by not writing one another he was certain they were also relieving their daughter of some of their own pain; they were both selfish that way. And about the last thing he wanted was for their daughter to be pained because of them.

Sighing he let his tired body against the wall, was he really only thirty-one? He felt ancient at times, not thirty-one; and as he sat there alone, he felt like an ancient old man. Days where he had a moment to catch his breath, and just breath for a moment, well those were the days he often times found himself yearning for his home, and remembering and yearning for his home.

Home had long since stopped being a village, but rather, it was a person. Home was annoying, she had pink hair, green eyes, and a smile he often times dreamt of. Home was loud, demanding and fun. Home was where he was loved, unconditionally, though he really did not deserve such a kindness from her. he really did not deserve her, for once he had tried to kill her, to end her.

Funny how that worked, he smirked, at twelve he despised her existence, at sixteen she intrigued him and she made herself something, at seventeen she had saved him from himself, at nineteen he was trying to be worthy of her, at twenty he married her, at twenty-one he had stolen her for his and kept her with him until he had to let her go. Another sighed left his lips as old memories played through his mind.

"Sakura," he whispered as her image danced in his mind's eye. He was back in this realm for the first time in five years, and he hadn't even sent a notice to his wife.

Kami help him, he hoped he didn't run into her!

Sakura would either punch him to Suna and back, swearing up and down the entire time; which would hurt his body and his pride.

Or he'd end up dragging her off to lock her up in a room and never let her go again, which would be fun and wild and probably infuriate the council beyond belief. He smirked at the thought as he let a light sleep claim him and his hand rest on his blade, ready for a fight.

* * *

Sakura sighed, she just couldn't win with that child, not at all! And kami knew she tried, but it appeared Sarada was a little copy of her father and enjoyed being difficult. She closed her eyes and sunk to the floor then as she tried not to cry. He really wouldn't want her to cry, not for him at least, but it appeared that it didn't matter anymore; she cried for him regardless. Was she really thirty-one? She wondered as she sat there alone, her thirty-second birthday was due in March, it was December, and it would be nine years come June.

Her head fell back as she gently pulled in a breath and stared at the ceiling of the second home she had bought. The first… well, it hadn't survived… long story short some asshole bandits came for her and well… they broke her house. They didn't live long, she had seen to it for they had threatened her four year old daughter, and well that was that.

Never threaten an Uchiha's child; because if people thought she was bad she dreaded to know just what her husband would do for their daughter.

Sakura looked over to the only photo of a young face she knew so well. Her fingers traced the picture briefly and her heart shuddered as she remembered the feeling of his arm around her, his breath on her ear as he pulled her to him and made her feel like the most fragile, cherished woman ever born to this world. No one had ever made her feel that once he had started with it, and she would admit it to being the most spectacular feeling ever. With that memory, a smile played on her lips as she walked to her garden on her day off and got to work.

She wondered what he was doing right now.

Where was he? Was he warm enough? Was he safe? Was he content? What was he thinking about? Did she ever cross his mind? Did he miss her like she missed him? Did he even care that she was here waiting for him still?

Sakura didn't know as a cool breeze moved her hair lightly as she worked in her garden. The warm climate of the Hi no Kuni deceived everyone into thinking it was nice year round, until summer; it was a bitch's heat in the middle of summer.

For a long while Sakura stared at the skies above her and watched as a hawk circled over her head.

"Sasuke," she whispered as she closed her eyes. She could feel him, around her, in her, making her heart coming to life again. She smiled, he was here, in this realm, he was here again. It was not something she could prove, but it was something she could feel. He was here again, she hadn't felt his presence in so long, and yet, she knew she could not go near him or go to him and hold onto him.

"Mom?" she looked over her shoulder then, her daughter, eleven years old was standing there looking so unsure and nervous.

"Yes?" she asked as she sat back on her heels and smiled, her hair was dancing on the wind a bit, as if her husband was pulling her to him but she couldn't go to him because she had to stay.

"Umm… where's dad?" Sarada asked her.

"Well…" she thought about it, she didn't know but he was out there on an important mission and she was pretty sure he was home again. "He's on an important mission because we're important to him," she answered honestly.

"No, I mean do you know where he is? I want… I want to meet him," she informed her. Sakura's heart stuttered for a moment as she stared at her daughter's ebony eyes who was biting her lip with her nerves.

"You father will be home someday, and you know what, when that day comes, I'm certain he'll tell you everything he's been up to these past years. And Sarada, your father loves you more than I can even convey," she said softly and she walked to her daughter.

"How do you know?" Sarada asked her.

"Because, he told me so, the first day we were all together. He promised me he'd come home again," she said to her daughter as she then knelt before the nervous girl.

"And Sarada, your father, he'll never break a promises even when you don't remember them," she smiled as she poked her daughter's brow. A mark of affection from Itachi to Sasuke, Sasuke to her, and Sasuke to their daughter, she was keeping it alive for him.

"That's not an answer mom," Sarada grumbled as she stalked into the house. Sakura sighed, she looked up and saw the hawk circling her.

"But it's the honest answer Sarada," she whispered to the wind as she stared at the hawk.

Sasuke.

Come home, she pleaded silently then.

* * *

 **Hey, old piece; again, and instead of bouncing it around (again), I've decided to just post it as a separate piece.**

 **Yes, this is a tie in with my Until the Day I Die Story, so there might be minor spoilers there. I'm making edits; minor edits for details, so there will be a few changed things, but other than that... it's the same story.**

 **There is to be a posting of a chapter a day here, I'll edit one chapter of the original Scarlet Spring before posting. So for the next ten days be prepared for updates! =)**

 **That's all for now folks!**

 **Enjoy Until the Day I Die: Scarlet Spring! =)**


	2. Chapter 2

**I Do Not Own Naruto**

 **Chapter 2**

Sakura forced herself not to run straight to Naruto and demand to know if her suspicions on her husband being home were true or not, she didn't dare to act like her twelve year old self who would do anything to know where he was. If Sasuke wanted her to know he was home then he'd be certain to send her a letter and a possible rendezvous spot for them to meet up and get together. But he probably wouldn't, not because he didn't love them or want to see her but because when they were forced to say goodbye; as they would be forced to do; it would hurt that much more.

Something of a quiet agreement between them had come to pass early in his travels, and it was why they had slowly stopped writing one another. They didn't like hurting. He had hurt so badly when he had first lost his family, and it had driven him away in the process. She had hurt so badly as well when he had left her behind and then gone on his revenge rampage. Hurting each other was something they were very good at, and loving each other was something they had come to be good at later.

Which was why two days after seeing the hawk circling over her backyard repeatedly she was tempted to lure it to her and write a note for Sasuke on it. It was his hawk; this only ever happened when she felt his presence.

"Mom?" Sarada called out to her again and as she was doing her laundry again.

"Hmm?" she turned to her daughter. "What?"

"Did Dad have glasses?" Sarada asked then. Sakura blinked, where had this come from?

"I-I don't think he did, I guess…" she trailed off. She didn't know if Sasuke had glasses now, she hadn't seen him in forever, but when they had been younger he hadn't had glasses. In fact, next to the Byakugan, he had had the keenest eyes of shinobi; the Byakugan saw through everything. And her eye sight hadn't been bad either, especially after training under Tsunade's merciless temper… so no, she didn't know why this question was something Sarada was asking. Besides, Sarada didn't really need the glasses, they were a seal to repress her Sharingan which she had activated as a toddler. Sasuke had demanded the seal too, Karin was just kind enough to supply it because she was in love with Sasuke and adored Sarada and happened to like her. no doubt if someone else asked her to do this Karin would have a whole slew of swear words for them, give the finger as she stalked off too.

Sakura looked to her daughter then. Sarada was scowling, now what?

"You guess? You're married to him and you guess!?" Sarada spat out, Sakura looked away as a tear slipped past her guard. Sarada didn't notice, she knew because her daughter wouldn't look at her at this moment as she scowled at the ground.

"Well, your dad was never in the village much when he was younger… now as well, but!" Sakura started hastily but a look from those eyes of Sarada's stopped her cold.

"Hey Mom, are you _**really**_ his wife?" she demanded in a tone which had knives twisting in Sakura's heart. That was something that she had been asked repeatedly since returning with Sarada from villagers, it was a tone the council held for her as if she were lying about who her daughter's father really was or that she was under a genjutsu from Sasuke to be his mindless slave of a wife. It was something everyone asked her at one point or another and now…

Now her daughter was asking! It broke her heart then, and no one had successfully broken her heart since Sasuke had left the first time. All the pain from the past years welled up in her gut as she glared down on her daughter.

"Now what is all this about?" she snapped, her tone a fiery ice as she scowled at the ten year old glaring at her. "You're acting really strange today."

"The thing that's really strange is your relationship with dad!" Sarada shouted at her.

Sakura flinched then, for her daughter really had no idea what her relationship with Sasuke was like, and neither did anyone else! Not that this was any fault of Sasuke's or hers', it was really the choices that were made out of their hands and ripped them apart and Sakura hated talking about it. With anyone! Ino, Hinata, Temari, Naruto or Kakashi! No one understood half of her relationship with him! They all only remembered what it had been like when he had been hell bent on destroying everything! Sakura's fists tightened as she fought off her desire to lash out at the pain her baby was inflicting on her.

"And strange is an understatement, to be honest," Sarada snapped in a cold, flat, matter-of-fact, know-it-all tone which snapped her then.

"Sarada!" Sakura shouted as she slammed her fist into the ground before she could throttle her daughter for her stupidity. Not everyone got a happily ever after and not everyone got a chance to be happy with the ones they loved! Sometimes love meant letting go, sometimes it meant hardship, sacrifice and making the hard choice, sometimes love didn't even mean you got to be together! She was lucky though, her love was alive, he was out there, he was safe and hopefully healthy! That was more than she could say for Tenten or Tsunade.

She looked at her daughter's teary eyes and stood up with shame welling in her. Sakura knew better, she knew better because she was the adult here and Sarada probably didn't even remember Sasuke. She had been three when he left, and toddlers didn't remember much, perhaps just snippets here and there.

"I'm sorry for raising my voice at you. Dad's away on some really important job, you see, he'll be back soon," she hoped. "I'm sure our feelings are mutual, so I'm sure he'll be alright."

There, she thought, the standard answer. But it wouldn't stop Sarada's tears, and she knew that as she stared at her baby. Kami did Sarada ever look like Sasuke! It was sometimes painful how much like him she looked. Cracking caught her attention then and pulled her attention from Sarada to the second house.

It imploded!

"N..No… The Loan!" she shrieked, she was so close to paying off that rebuild loan from the first time this had happened and her world wavered as she fell back.

Fuck her!

Sasuke was going to never let her live this down if he found out! Just kill her now!

"Mom!" she heard as the world drifted off.

* * *

Sasuke bolted awake when he felt a tremor in the earth and looked around. He was a ways away from the village but that didn't mean he wouldn't feel Sakura's temper when she shook the ground with it. It was either her or Tsunade and since he had no idea what the status of Tsunade was he didn't know if it was Sakura or not. But he had a sneaking suspicion that it was her as he leapt up to the roof of the abandoned out pose and stared around the forest. His eyes were whirling with energy and life as he scanned the area, the far off chakra signatures of a lot of the dobe, and the village. It felt… larger than when he had left; the village; the sheer amount of dobe clones felt annoying as he sat on the roof and tried to see if he could find Sakura's chakra.

He was so damn close…

But he was so damn far too, as he closed his eyes and shook his head. The hawk crying out as it swirled over his head and came to land beside him. The bird looked at him with those all seeing eyes. He held out a calloused hand, the bird nipped it, Sasuke slid the back of his fingers over it's head then as he looked for the reply message.

Pulling out the response he had received from the Hokage he blinked twice at who sent it.

The dobe!?

Alright, he'd been out of the village for a bit but even he was shocked to read the dobe's name where the Hokage signed. Sasuke smirked to himself then, good for Naruto; he'd still rather deal with Kakashi, but good for Naruto for becoming Hokage like he used to scream about as a child. The dobe was still a dobe but it appeared that now he had made his dream a reality so good for him. Sasuke's only dream at this moment was to see his wife again, a dumb dream, he knew but it didn't matter as he sat there reading the letter on his instructions.

Wait for the dobe…

The dobe did know this was just a relaying of information then right?

No matter, the dobe was coming and Sasuke's eyes weren't 'recharged' yet so he could leave for the other dimension where the Ōtsutsuki clan had resided. But until his eyes were ready again, he wasn't really going anywhere; which was the frustrating part of all this as he sat there with the bird.

"The dobe's Hokage, the world really is going to hell," he informed the hawk who chirped in response the disappeared as he was released summoning then. He wondered how his wife and daughter were doing as he stared at the chakra swarm where the village was. He hopped down then, he felt like going for a walk, it would sooth his nerves and his wants before he did something rash like run to the village, grab his wife and run off with her. which was a really tempting prospect in his mind; and no one was ever going to find out just how tempting it was. Mostly because his damn Sharingan would not let him forget Sakura dressed up in lacy black numbers or tiny red silk nothings.

She was so damn close, and yet she was so far from his grasp

Not that it was the most important thing in his world, he had other things to worry about at the moment than getting his hand on his wife again. Things like the feeling of being followed again as he moved through the forest again.

The shadow moved, and a man was hurling towards him. Instincts took over as he evaded the blade, his hand grabbed the chain which had wrapped around a tree and pulled the man to him with his irritation pulsing through him. No one knew he was even here! So who the fuck was this!?

His hand released the chain as he pulled his sword, tangling it in the chain as he slammed his knee into the back of his attacker. His fingers moved the one handed signs he had long since perfected as the electricity coursed from his only hand, through the sword, down the chain and into the body of his attacker.

The man was blown into the brush then, Sasuke's eyes narrowed on his family crest as his rage boiled in him. That damn blonde! False Uchiha! The one who ruined all of his hard work on restoring his family name! that blonde head turned to him and red met red as he stared into a three tomoe Sharingan whirling with it's own life in the eyes of a boy who was maybe fifteen.

"You…" he snarled. "Who are you?" he demanded only for the boy to disappear with a contemptuous smile and in a bunch of leaves.

Forget Sakura, when he got his hand on that guy again there was going to be hell!

For now, he'd return to the watch tower and wait for the Hokage, he'd bring the topic up then about the false Uchiha. There was more going on here than he had thought.

* * *

 **That's all for now folks.**

 **Enjoy Scarlet Spring.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I Do Not Own Naruto**

 **Chapter 3**

He returned to the lookout because it was the best place to rest as he sat down and rested in the cool breeze. Must've been winter here, he figured; months were not something he knew because about eighty percent of the time he was in a different realm than this and seasons, time and even days all moved differently depending on where he was. And the Hi no Kuni was almost always in an eternal summer which was fine, but it didn't help him in deciphering what time of year it was.

Leaning his head back to rest on the wall he just rested, the dobe should be here soon; because Sasuke just knre that dobe would be the one to come see him if anyone came. Besides, his Rinnegan needed to recharge and to rest for a moment, he had been over working it these past years. The Ōtsutsuki were not easy to track; if they were he wouldn't be needed and he'd be home.

The sensing of a Sharingan had his eyes snapping open.

A door was shoved opened and Sasuke melted into the shadows again as he cast a light genjutsu and slipped through the tower. A girl?

He leapt down, she spun around and all he could see was the red eyes with a single tomoe spinning.

Damn it Orochimaru! When the hell would he stop fucking with the Sharingan!? Sasuke was going to kill her and then he was tracking that snake down and disemboweling him in the most painful way possible before lighting him on fire with Amaterasu again. The snake would rue the day he even set his sights on the Sharingan!

"So you managed to find this place," he snarled as he stared at the red eyes. He was getting really, fucking, tired, of this shit! His hand drew his sword as he stared into the red eyes. "Are you one of that creep's friends?" he demanded.

"Huh?" the girl eyed the sword nervously as he glared into the red; he hadn't really looked at the girl yet, and the sight of another improper Sharingan infuriated him as he moved. His sword was slammed into the wall as he glared at the girl

"Papa!" she shrieked and he stopped, his fingers slipping from his sword as he stopped looking at red eyes and stared at that tearstained face.

The forehead, the chin, the way she was looking right now as the tears slipped from her now tightly shut eyes, and that bottom lip trembled. Give her pink hair, a seal of strength in the center of her brow, and green eyes and he froze, this was Sarada, but holy shit did she look like Sakura at the moment.

"You're…" hie breath hitched and he hated himself for nearly repeating the same nightmare he had almost acted on ten years ago again. But this time, she knew, she had seen his actions this time and she would know what he had done. He trembled as he stared at that small girl then.

"Sarada," her teary eyes cracked open as she stared at him with still red eyes.

"…Is that you?" he asked, just to make certain he wasn't hallucinating this moment. A moment he had dreamt of, but in his dreams he was free to come home and he certainly had not tried to kill his only daughter; again.

He reached to wipe the tears away like he had when she had been small but he stopped the move when she finally looked him. He was probably the last person she ever wanted near her now or ever again.

"Yes," she answered hesitantly. He pulled away, as he straightened himself and composed himself again so he didn't do something rash like grab her and haul her back to the village and yell at Sakura for letting her out of the village then tracking Karin down to get a stronger seal on her eyes. Maybe not a surpressor anymore, but a concealer; the elders really did not need to know about her Sharingan; he had aimed to hide it when he had left the first time.

"I see," he answered slowly as he tried to calm himself for what he had almost done; he had almost lost everything. And honestly, he could never live with himself if he broke one of his few promises to his family, and honestly, if he had broken it, he'd have let Sakura kill him without a fight. He'd deserved no less for harming their daughter, a child he had promised to never harm no matter what she did.

"Yeah. I knew right away that you were my father," she said in an accusing tone. He didn't know what to say to that as he stared at her; he was killing the dobe, he needed someone to take his anger out on and he was totally killing the dobe this time. especially if the dobe had thought of this little reunion…

The village was going to need their eighth Hokage and a new jinchūriki when he was through the dobe!

"So you're here!"

Sasuke's eye twitched at the voice of the target of his current plot for murder.

"Sarada! What the hell were you thinking!?" a young girl's voice demanded and he turned to stare at a girl who made him think they were being invaded by Kumogakure. Her dark skin, amber eyes and orange-brown hair were all exotic features not from his village, but looking at her he could see the Akimichi clan resemblance in her.

The dobe was lucky to have brought kids for shields, but it wasn't going to save him this time. once the kids were out of here he was killing the dobe, burying the body, dragging the girls home to their parents and telling Kakashi they needed a new Hokage and it had better be better than dobe!

"Sorry for being a little late," Naruto grinned a foxish smile. Sasuke scowled. Murder, death, and the thousand and one ways there was to kill the dobe was on the forefront of his mind at the moment. Naruto and his meddling… well, Sasuke was done with people meddling in his life!

"Naruto! What is all this!?" he snapped sharply. If the dobe didn't have a good answer he was dead.

The dobe look confused and Sasuke remembered that Naruto was oblivious to everything; he was worse than Sai or him.

"Why did you bring the children here?" he demanded as his tone seemed to confuse the dobe even more then.

"Uh… why you ask?" Naruto said looking from him to Sarada like it was obvious. Sasuke was killing the dobe, that was his final decision on the matter, the dobe was dying and then the girls were being returned to their parents and if the council had a problem with him being back in the village then he was putting Amaterasu on them.

"We came to see you, dad!" Sarada informed him and that had him stiffening. He was adding Sakura on the list of those to die for her stupidity of letting Sarada out of the village! He turned to look at his daughter, dismissing the other girl and Naruto from his mind for a minute to give her his undivided attention. She deserved no less.

"I found out that the Seventh would be meeting you here so I tagged along from behind, because there's something I need to hear from you…" she trailed off when she looked at him. She bit her lip then, just like Sakura did when she was nervous. The girl was shaking nervously and she wouldn't look at him. He internally sighed for his patience was already running thin because of Naruto's unsurprising stupidity.

"What is it?" he prompted. He didn't know if he was making her more nervous or not but it didn't matter, she had his attention for what was clearly important to her.

"Umm… I… uh… my mom…" she stammered and his heart constricted. Had something happened to Sakura? Someone would've told him if something had happened to Sakura, right? Then again the council was in charge, and he had no doubt they read every letter he and Sakura had shared before they had ever received them and they could've censored information. But surely the dobe or Kakashi would have gotten word to him if Sakura was in trouble, ill or dying!

"Is she really my mom?" Sarada demanded. He blinked; well, this came from no where.

WHAT THE HELL WAS THIS QUESTION ABOUT!? Was the only thought running through his mind as he stared dumbly at his daughter who could pass for Sakura's clone at that age if she had pink hair and sea green eyes. Was this kid for real? Did she not look in the mirror at all!? She was all Sakura!

Well, he was pretty sure she had his nose… and she definitely had Itachi's eyebrows, but other than that… she was ALL Sakura! Hell! Even her ebony hair looked like Sakura's!

"Did something happen?" he asked blandly; there was probably a reason for this identity crisis she was suffering from, there was a fight between her and Sakura or something which would make her think that there be a reason for her not to be Sakura's daughter.

However, instead of getting the answer he wanted he got a glare that was so Sakura he half expected her to punch a hole in the wall or scream at him. Instead she took a deep breath and then placed her hands on her hips all hotly and superior; she was reminding him of a cross between Sakura and Itachi which was really… weird.

"You haven't been there for us at all!" she stated a fact; a fact which he had no control over really; short of committing treason again and stealing his family away from the village he still detested but protected because it was Itachi's legacy and the home for his wife and daughter. Now his daughter's eyes were fiery and mad as she glared up at him.

"Why won't you be with her!? Do you really find it okay to forget the face of your own child!?" he noted that Naruto was nodding his head and looking all 'suspicious and serious and contemplating' at once; a look which really only made him look stupid. Then Sarada pulled out an old photo; the photo from Naruto's gift and he found himself staring at the past, Team Taka.

"And who is this lady next to you with the glasses!? Do you think my mom would tell me about this!?" she snapped. "Mom won't talk to me about it, and you were never around! I don't even know if I can believe you two anymore! Problems!? We've got a lot of them!" she was screaming now.

Must've been a hell of a fight, he surmised.

"What… What have you actually been doing and where were you all this time?" she demanded.

The sadness which over took him startled him as he stared at her. He despised that he couldn't answer her because he didn't want her to ever hate the village, and if she knew… well, he knew she would never understand what he was doing. Not because she was a child, but more than likely because Sakura had shielded her as best as she could against the hatred and was waiting for the right time to tell her the truth. He was not telling her for it was not his place to tell her, he was the last fucking person on the planet to even attempt to explain or justify his crimes. Crimes he was still atoning for in a way she would never understand because he was going to keep her from ever doing what he had done.

"This has nothing to do with you," he stated indifferently for it was the truth. It had everything to do with him and Sakura but it had nothing to do with Sarada and he was keeping her from it. Not because she was a child, but rather because she was no longer a child; he could see that as he stared at her.

Her face contorted in a pain he could not express, she looked like Sakura and he wanted nothing more than to hold her and whisper that there was nothing to worry about and to go home, be safe and be smart, and to trust her mother.

"I've had it!" she screamed as she ripped the door open and stormed out. Her friend called after her and Naruto darted after her and he just watched her go. There was nothing he could ever say or do which would ever explain what had happened or what was happening around her when he really needed her to have faith in a village he despised more than he could ever say.

Besides, if she was as much like Sakura as he thought she was the dobe would know how to calm her best.

He closed his eyes and breathed a deep breath as he tried not to remember or accept what he had agreed to at the beginning of his probation and then dragged Sakura along to do. Sarada would never understand, and he hoped to Kami she never needed to understand. Besides, he'd take Sakura against the wills of just about everyone he knew, except her, and he didn't need his daughter to feel hatred. Ever.

Kami could this day get any worse? He wondered as he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"I'll give you this, so go patch things up with Sarada," the other girl said which drew his attention as he stared at the girl. Definitely an Akimichi. "It's consommé flavor!"

He took it back.

The day could definitely get worse.

* * *

 **That's all for now folks.**

 **Enjoy Scarlet Spring.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I Do Not Own Naruto**

 **Chapter 4**

Onyx eyes snapped open as he looked to the roof, feeling them coming then. Two of them, two Sharingans which belonged to the false Uchiha. His eyes snapped to the door then and he knew Sarada was there, he shoved past the Akimichi kid as he ran outside. Sakura would kill him if he let anything happen to Sarada!

His own Sharingan sprung to life as he leapt outside in time to see Kurama emerge in his fiery glory and through the attack off of the dobe and Sarada. Sasuke didn't stop though as he pulled his sword, the blonde he had been chasing since the start of his redemption was coming at him dressed in Akatsuki robes, his temper boiled at the sight as he intersected the attack. Strange blades were hurled at him, he heard Sarada scream as his eyes traveled to her, he was moving fine but he saw the dobe had her safe so he'd focus on the battle.

Slashing through the attack he was near the false Uchiha, a seal was on the open palm of an arm encased in Sharingan like Danzo had been. Disgust, fury, and an old hatred roiled through him as he slashed up to the man, his blade was grabbed but it didn't stop his assault as he moved through the air fighting gravity. The second false Uchiha was coming at him with a huge blade of his own and he reacted; he was not dying here! His left eye was charged enough for this simple battle as he moved his position past them leaving two baffled false Uchihas falling through the air. He wove a flawless one handed sign for a fire ball as he twisted in the air.

"Fire Style! Fireball Jutsu!" he roared as the flames came to life, spewing through his lips. They had dared to come after his family, these assholes were going to die for coming near his daughter. He didn't care about them coming for him but his daughter was right there, and they were going to die for this atrocity. No one fucked with his family, they were off limits.

He saw the false Uchiha with the dozens of eyes as he moved himself under the younger, the younger screamed in agony as he fell and died in fire. That fucker was going to burn when Sasuke got to him next time as he landed lightly on the ground, darting forward he grabbed the discarded sword as he ran between them and Kurama's head where his daughter was standing with the dobe beside her.

"I see," the smoking man huffed, his subordinate was burnt to a fiery crisp. "This is the power of your eyes, Uchiha Sasuke."

"Hn," he grunted. This was pathetic, he was killing this asshole; at least he wasn't going to kill the dobe yet; the dobe had a little time before he went after him for bringing Sarada here of all places.

"I definitely want something like that for the revival of the Akatsuki."

He scowled then; this bozo probably didn't even know what the Akatsuki really was! And to say he was unimpressed was the understatement of the century. He was killing this moron now, and after he was done here he was tracking that damn snake down and killing him!

"That guy's an Akatsuki survivor?" Naruto asked dumbfounded.

"We'll get you talking in no time," Sasuke informed that particular pain in his ass as he held his sword in a firm grip. This asshole had come after his daughter, there was no mercy from him when he would attack.

"My name is Uchiha Shin," he declared arrogantly. Sasuke frowned, his daughter muttered something about a child's name and he didn't react to this as he glared at the false Uchiha. Again! No relative of his was blonde! His entire clan had been black and red in coloring; no in between! Well, there was Sakura but he had married her and his daughter had followed in the traditional Uchiha coloring.

"We'll have plenty of time to get to the truth after I take you in. Shut up for now," he ordered as he tried to stand between this Shin guy and his daughter who he was leering at. Sasuke was shocked though when the burnt one was shoving himself to his feet, Sasuke winced a bit in disgust as he tried not to recoil. He had lived with Orochimaru and gross was Orochimaru's specialty so this had Orochimaru written all over it. However, he was very aware of the two young girls here and he wanted them gone for what he was about to do for he would not be kind or merciful.

"Naruto, take care of the kids, and also…" he snarled for he was going to inform the dobe he was going to be a dead man by the end of the night.

"I get it! Keep yourself focused!" Naruto snapped.

Sasuke didn't get to shout a warning though when he felt his sword ripped from his grasp and heard Naruto's grunt as he turned to stare at the sword in the dobe's gut. Fuck! He didn't want to kill the dobe now! He needed the dobe to get the girls out of here! Then again, the dobe was not that easy to kill; trust him; he'd been trying for years.

"This is the power of my eyes! What do you think? I'm a match for you, aren't I!?" Shin boasted. Sasuke balefully returned the glare in disgust; as if this guy was even a worthy match, he had been a nuisance though for the past so many years!

"Don't worry Sarada, I'm fine!" he heard from Naruto and scowled. He dobe was always fine! "Ugh, that's it! These guys can use their eye powers to use weapons freely. It couldn't be, like Sasuke's too!" Naruto declared.

They must've marked the katana, when they grabbed it. What a nuisance!

The sound of whistling metal caught his attention as he looked up, he saw it as it hit Kuama, but Naruto's Nine Tails falter and his eyes snapped up. There, and he looked at who was standing in their path.

Sarada!

His body moved on it's own accord as he dove between Sarada and the coming blades that she didn't notice. He wrapped himself around her ad the blades sliced through his back and muscles. A grunt of pain escaped him as Sarada turned and stared at him with wide onyx eyes the pain fired through him but his temper roared to life in full force, they had dared to try to kill HIS daughter. The rage which consumed him was dangerous as he turned to look at Shin.

"Peace means an end to evolution for humans. That's exactly what you all are!"

Pink caught his eye and he kept Sarada shielded as he glared balefully to Shin who released more blades.

"Species without evolution are eventually destroyed," Shin informed him blandly and Sasuke felt like rolling his eyes. Sarada however looked terrified. Sasuke's eyes carefully tracked the pink though, even Naruto seemed to notice her as she came darting through the forest, she was up in the air.

His breath hitched as he stared at her, nine years had done her justice, he decided as he stared at a face he could never forget and a dangerous light in those furious emerald eyes. He watched as she came slamming down on Shin with the full wrath of a mother, a wife and an apprentice of Tsunade's.

"Just What Do You Think You're Doing To My Husband and My Daughter You Bastards!" she screamed as he heard bones shattered, the earth erupt beneath her and the forest rumbled and the shockwave of chakra hit him. Nine years and he couldn't even look away from her as he held his daughter where she was. Shin was broke, Sasuke knew it as he watched Sakura break him and he fought back the smirk. Seeing her right now was honestly the most beautiful thing he'd seen in nearly nine years.

"Mom!?" Sarada cried out as she stared at Sakura.

Sakura looked furious, Naruto looked terrified, and Sarada looked shocked. He wanted to smirk but instead opened his mouth to greet her.

"Who are these jerks!?" she demanded as she turned her fiery wrath on them.

"We were about to find out," he informed her. She blinked as she stared at him. He couldn't stop staring at her either so he understood this feeling. But she looked relieved, happy, and startled, he was only entranced by her.

"What are you doing here!?" he finally asked stupidly.

"I'm here too! Ya know!" Naruto snapped breaking his trance as he watched the dobe use his cloak to have a hand reach over to those two false Uchiha.

"You okay Naruto!?" Sakura shouted from where she stood, she looked like a doe in the headlights, he couldn't look away from her and she hadn't stopped staring at him.

"Yeah, I'll be fine soon," Naruto grumbled his reply.

"Wha? Really!?" Sarada stuttered out. Sasuke ignored the dobe though as he stared at the pinkette standing so near to him but so far at the same time. He really, really wanted to reach out and touch her just to make certain she was real.

"Sorry," Sakura mumbled and then she looked down. Before he watched her force her attention to their daughter then. "I meant to tell you properly."

"No," he snapped at Sakura drawing her attention again as he began pulling out the blades then. She looked startled but a little wistful too.

"It's my fault, no matter how you think about it." He assured his wife, she had done nothing wrong in the raising of their daughter. Sakura softened a bit, but she still looked like a wounded girl, a girl he hadn't seen since he had been lost in the madness, trapped in his darkness. "But for me…"

He stopped when a thing with a Sharingan appeared behind his wife and his heart stopped as he watched in slow move and tried to force his body to move again.

"I'm taking these with me!" it declared.

Sakura spun around, her eyes wide, startled and wilde as she looked at the thing, but he couldn't even move as he watched her disappear.

"A space-time ninjutsu?" he whispered to himself.

He stared at where she had been and his heart hitched. Fuck!

* * *

Sakura had woken up only to be told by Shizune about all the doubts Sarada was having and her heart had stopped. She had found out where Sarada was going and after knowing that she raced off after her daughter; this could be extremely dangerous for Sarada if she wasn't careful or accidently ran into Sasuke and startled him or she could be kidnapped. And Sakura knew Naruto didn't know he was being followed so she had raced after the girls and chased after Naruto hoping to get the girls back in the village before the elders found out about Sarada leaving to meet Sasuke.

Then she had seen the attack as she ran and she hadn't been near enough to stop it. However, when she saw Sasuke throw himself between Sarada and those blades she had reacted. Her temper guiding her actions as she smashed everything which threatened her family. Slamming into the ground and the asshole who had attacked her best friend, her husband and her daughter.

However, when she was done breaking him she had found herself staring dumbly at her husband, the years had been unfair; she thought, there she was looking like worn down dish washer, and he was sexy as ever! They had spoken; briefly but to be honest she hadn't really been listening to what they were brokenly saying; which was her mistake.

Her distraction had her brought her here, and as she looked around wildly she was truly scared.

Space-time ninjutsu, like what Sasuke could use on occasion!

* * *

 **That's all for now folks!**

 **Enjoy Scarlet Spring! =)**


	5. Chapter 5

**I Do Not Own Naruto**

 **Chapter 5**

Alright, furious did not even cover how he was feeling at the moment. Nine years of traveling through other dimensions, wandering the world, and hunting down the Ōtsutsuki he hadn't really worried about the false Uchiha. But now he was seeing the error of that decision as he glared at where his wife had been.

"To think they even had access to a space-time teleportation..." well, the thought hadn't even crossed his mind as he wandered dimensions. It should've, but it hadn't. Someone was going to die when he finally caught up to this Uchiha, for the time being he was tracking the snake down to demand information about where the hell his wife had been taken to. And when he got there, well, there was going to be hell!

"Damnit! They got us! It's just like Kurama said, I'm so pathetic," Naruto was wallowing in his self-misery. Sasuke scowled at the dobe; this was all the dobe's fault! If he hadn't let the girls come then Sarada would've stayed in the village, and Sakura would never have been out here in the first place and she'd have never have been taken! The dobe though needed to become productive right now, not wallowing. Wallowing solved nothing! He had learned this early in his travels without Sakura.

"Dobe! Pay attention and find my wife!" Sasuke snapped. Naruto blinked twice and then nodded as he started his sage mode and searched for Sakura. Sasuke was scanning for her as well.

"It's no use. I don't know they've gotten too far away, or if they ran inside some sort of barrier. I can't sense Sakura's chakra at all," Naruto informed him after about ten minutes. Sasuke glared at the dobe as he pondered what this meant for Sakura.

Either Shin would demand something from her, and she'd comply until she had enough information to strike, or Shin was trying to kill her. Sasuke hated both options but they were the two favorable realities to the nightmares swirling in his mind.

"I see," was all he managed to say as he started thinking of what to do to save her.

"Kakashi was wondering if this shinobi might have had some kind of connection to Orochimaru," Naruto said dumbly. Sasuke lifted a brow.

"Yeah, I was thinking the exact same thing," he admitted mostly because NO ONE naturally had that many Sharingan. "His left arm was implanted full of Sharingans. Back when I fought with Danzo, his right arm was the same way. And the person who gave Danzo that right arm was Oroshimaru."

"So in other words, in order to find Sakura, we're going to have to go on a field trip to Orochimaru's."

Sasuked growled as his teeth her clenched and his hand fisted so tightly he was going to break something in his hand.

"I suppose," he admitted then he glanced at his daughter and the other girl. "But what should we do about the kids?" he demanded. The last place he really wanted to take his daughter again was an Orochimaru hideout.

"Those guys are after Sarada," Naruto pointed out. He glared dangerously at the Hokage then; Hokage or not the dobe would die because this was his fault for letting his daughter come with him in the first place. If Sarada had just been kept in the village where she was safe until he had dealt with the trouble then he wouldn't be dealing with a kidnapped Sakura. "At this point, now that they know that you two are father and daughter, it would probably be safest for us to travel together. Lest she gets taken as a hostage to be used against us."

They already had Sakura! they sure as hell weren't getting his daughter too!

A tug on his cloak had him turning to look down at the other girl, who was shoving a bag of chips at him again. He frowned a bit but wouldn't be rude to the girl who appeared to be his daughter's friend.

"I don't have any other flavors left except lightly salted." She informed him seriously, and he lifted a brow in slight annoyance. He didn't care about stupid potato chips! He cared about his missing wife! "But if this doesn't patch things up between you guys, then I'm totally out of brilliant ideas."

He blinked then and then he looked at his daughter then.

She was trembling as she stared at the ground, it was like she was trying to hold herself together without help. He knew that look and attitude well because when he had been her age he had seen it every day in the mirror after the loss of his family. He didn't know what to tell her because he knew there were no words for her that would heal the hurt she was feeling. There was no way to reassure her that her mother was alive and well, and that she wasn't alone when he was the next best thing to being a stranger to her at the moment.

He looked to the dobe who was looking helpessly at Sarada. Sasuke sighed.

"Please tell me you have eyes on that damn snake?" he sighed out as he pinched the bridge of his nose and tried not to shout at all of them for being stupid and for putting him in this spot and endangering his wife in the process.

"Uh… yeah, we've got eyes on him." Naruto blinked.

"Tell me where the fuck he is then or I'll find out myself," Sasuke ordered. Naruto pulled out a thing which looked like a radio or something and started dialing it. Sasuke blinked; right, cell phone, a thing he despised beyond all reason for it never seemed to work if it was out of range or battery; which was often for him.

"Let me make a call," Naruto grinned.

Sasuke scowled. He was killing someone by the end of the day, so all he wanted was his questions answered and to know where the hell he was supposed to go to get his wife back.

Two hours later he found himself standing with the dobe, two girls and creepy eyes outside the current hide out of Orochimaru and he just wanted to break it all to get the information he wanted.

"I've heard about most of the situation from my predecessor," the clone informed them.

"I don't know if I'm going to be able to accept that, after all, you'll always be Captain Yamato to me." Sasuke turned a red glare on Naruto for all this small talk. Sakura was in serious danger, and they were chatting.

"Sorry but I can't step away from my post here," Yamato informed him. That was fine with him, he wanted to break things, he didn't need a sitter to keep him in check at the moment. "If anything happens I have to be able to pursue Orochimaru."

"I understand," Naruto said earnestly. Sasuke scowled; if anything happened there was going to be nothing of the snake left to pursue.

"This time around we've got Sasuke on our side. So this should be a lot easier than it was last time," Yamato announced arrogantly. Sasuke scowled; he was not a weapon for them to use at their pleasure.

"Alright, let's head in. I know my way around inside," he admitted as he stood up, his feet swiftly carried him at the head of the group as he moved into the labyrinth where a true monster resided. He hated this place, almost as much as he despised the village council.

"This way," he said as they rounded a corner.

"H…Hey Sasuke, this isn't just your old hangout anymore! How about being more on the lookout!" Naruto hissed as he moved through the shadows of half-forgotten passageways. He was not hiding out, or looking out; anyone who dared to cross him would be killing them, he didn't care at this point. Sakura was in trouble and it was really all the dobe's fault!

Besides, there was no way Orochimaru didn't know they were already here.

They rounded a corner and he found himself looking at two old friends. Suigetsu and a tired, older looking Juugo.

"Damnit! See, I told you so!" Naruto hissed at him, he glared at Naruto to be silent then. These two would do anything for his wife; even commit murder and help her dispose of the body if she needed that help.

"It's been way too long Sasuke," Suigetsu informed him with a shark's grin and his snaggled tooth bared for them to see. He saw the way Suigetsu's eyes landed on Sarada though. "This ain't a place to be takin' the little kids on a little stroll you know."

Sasuke knew what Suigetsu was thinking as he stared at Sarada; they remembering the toddler she had been and he stepped between Suigetsu and his daughter then, no one really noticed the move because Juugo was staring at Naruto with wide eyes.

"The Hokage!?" he muttered. Sasuke scowled, he was in a hurry, he wasn't here to catch up with these guys.

"Lead me to where Orochimaru is," he demanded sharply.

"It doesn't look like it's going to be necessary," Naruto hissed to him as he stood there with his orange frog eyes fading as he looked down the dark hall. Sasuke's eyes landed on a feminine looking Orochimaru.

"Well, well," he purred and Sasuke felt disgust well up in him as he scowled at the man. "You are the last person I expected to come visiting here again, Sasuke."

"You're so young! You're Oroshimaru, aren't you!?" Naruto demanded dumbly. Sasuke scowled at him, and kept himself carefully placed between the snake and his daughter so no one would notice her. but he knew Juugo or Suigetsu would side with him if Orochimaru came for Sarada. They'd do anything for his daughter, even if she didn't seem to remember her.

"I'm sure you're very well aware that it's me. Looks like some things never change. That's what I always liked about you," Orochimaru purred out as he looked him over. But it was Naruto who had the response, not that Orochimaru was looking at Naruto.

"Well, yeah, I guess so…" Naruto said uncertainly.

"This person is Orochimaru?" Sarada whispered behind him.

"Oh? And who are these children here?" Orochimaru inquired innocently. Sasuke moved himself again to be between Sarada and Orochimrau. Damn snake.

"Some man, who appeared like he was one of your subordinate's came after these children's lives and kidnapped my wife. If you're scheming something you had best come clean now," Sasuke stated.

"Have I done anything suspicious to warrant such accusations?"

Sasuke lifted a brow then.

"What do you have your guard outside watching me for then?" the snake hissed defensively.

"In that case: Who is the man who has Sharingans implanted all over his body the same way Danzo's arm was? Where Is He Now?" Sasuke demanded as his hand rested on the hilt of his blade and he stared into the reptilian eyes of Orochimaru as he stood there waiting for an answer. If he didn't like the answer then he was killing the snake and tracking the Sharingan down the hard way.

"Let us speak in a different room. Come this way," Orochimaru motioned as he walked down a different corridor.

Reluctantly Sasuke found himself following the snake as they walked deeper in the lair the resided in. He stiffened when they finally made their way into a room he knew all too well as he stood there staring at a Shin in a test tube.

"That is Shin's ability. He's simply obsessed and intoxicated with Itachi, but he'd not a true member of the Uchiha Clan. He Is no longer here with me, but he was once one of my test subjects. Yes he is the child who literally became Danzo's right arm," Orochimaru said as he gestured to the blonde in the test tube. "That child is special. He possesses a very unique physical body which accepts anything transplanted into it without rejection. I really wanted that body…

"I went through so many cloning tests with that child, over and over again. In an attempt to unravel the mysteries of it's genetics…" he sounded disgusting and like he was orgasiming all at once. Sasuke wanted nothing more than to demand where his wife was and leave at this moment.

"Clones?" Naruto asked.

"They're of an even higher class than your Shadow Clone Jutsu. Every single one is an original. You could say that they're Shadow Clones that will never disappear." He purred out, Sasuke curled his lip in disgust as he glared at this disgusting snake.

"I don't really get it. They won't disappear? Then what do you do with them once you're done using them?" Naruto asked, a simple question but Sasuke knew the disgusting answer before the snake had even answered.

"Spontaneously generated clones, in other words, just like twins, each one has it's own personality, will, and existence. They're being cultivated though, so in order to grow they require time. but their genes will be the same, exactly like a parent and child. If you want them to disappear…

"Then you'd have to kill them," he purred. Sasuke snarled a bit then as he glared at the snake and tried to keep Sarada from his view.

"Are humans such a simple exitences? Are you really okay with performing those kinds of experiments?" Naruto demanded. Sasuke blinked, the dobe did know he was speaking to Orochimaru, right? Orochimaru was a curious sadist who enjoyed torturing everyone for his own use and his experiments.

"Humans are much more simple than I ever imagined. Humans are slaves to their genes. Any person and any person that they are related to or come from, it can all be verified and proven."

"What about someone other than clones?" Sarada piped up, and he blinked at the voice as he stared dangerously at the snake who was eyeing his daughter in such a way a snake eyed a baby hawk, not yet able to fly. "What about a more conventional parent and child?"

Sasuke slid his gaze to Sarada, again with this? But he looked to Orochimaru then, that smile had him tightening his hold on the hilt of his sword as he glared at the snake. He'd destroy Orochimaru before he could touch Sarada.

"Of course, would you like to judge for yourself, little miss?" Orochimaru asked, seduction purring through his voice and it had him stepping between her and the snake noticeably then.

"We do not have time for science projects. I'm sure you have an idea of where this Shin might be, right now. Tell us," he ordered again. He didn't want this snake near Sarada.

"Very well. If that troublesome Shin were to be captured by the Leaf, you'd e doing me a huge favor anyways," the snake grumbled as he stalked past them. "I'll explain in detail so why don't we had to a room with a monitor? Would you all mind continuing this little tour?"

Sasuke said nothing as he followed Orochimaru and kept Sarada behind him.

* * *

 **That's all for now folks.**

 **Enjoy Scarlet Spring =)**


	6. Chapter 6

**I Do Not Own Naruto**

 **Chapter 6**

Sasuke forced himself not to panic when he noticed Sarada was not with him. He had the information he needed and now he used his Sharingan to scan for his daughter's familiar chakra. She was with the dobe, to his relief and he sighed knowing this. Damn Suigetsu! He was probably the one to sneak off with her, and that dumb ass would do anything Sarada asked of him; she, like her mother, had Team Taka unwittingly wrapped around her little finger. At least Karin wasn't here, he didn't think he could deal with her at this moment in time as he was still focused on getting his wife back.

Sakura should never have been put in this situation to begin with and it was inexcusable. He only hoped she was still alright and his nightmares had not become a reality. For if she were dead there was going to be hell to pay.

He closed his eyes as he navigated his way out of this place with the Akimichi girl and just tried to think past what could possibly be happening to Sakura and all the regrets he was having about their marriage. He did not regret marrying her, he just knew that there was so much more she deserved and she didn't receive from him because he was gone more often times than not. Sakura deserved so much more than he could ever give her, and all he had given her was heartache.

Even now he knew he had given her heartache, because no doubt Sarada's identity crisis was his fault somehow. How he didn't know, but it was probably his fault somehow.

Sasuke looked up as he remembered when they had been teaching her to walk in that small village they had lived in when she had been a child. Sakura had had one hand, he had held the other and Sarada toddled between them. Kami she had been so small, and so innocent, the villagers there had smiled at her on her unsteady legs and they had latter let her run around with their kids. Sarada though had always liked holding hands and being held when she was small, but now…

Now he didn't know anything about her other than she was in the midst of some identity crisis.

Sasuke sighed, damn his life and his choices and the choices forced upon him. He just wanted to go home, but even that had been take from him as he led the Akimichi girl outside.

He watched the entrance as Naruto and Sarada emerged.

"Where did you guys run off too!?" he demanded, his worry finally overriding his demands to remain calm. The snake's hideout was the last place he wanted Sarada wandering around, as for the dobe… well, Naruto was resilient…

"Sarada!" the Akimichi girl shouted for her as she ran over to them.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted in a tone which had him lifting a brow as he stood there waiting for them. "When This Is All Done, We Need To Talk!" he roared.

"What is it?" he demanded in exasperation.

"Now's Not the Time! First we need to go save Sakura!" Naruto shouted. Well, at least the confusing dobe had his priorities straight.

"She may have been already been killed," Orochimaru purred. Sasuke turned his murderous glare onto the snake again. She would not die so easily! And if she did die on him then he was reviving her and killing her himself!

"My Wife Is Not That Soft," he spat out in an even tone. "It's highly probable that by the time we get there, she'll have already taken care of everything."

He hoped.

"As soon as I figure out the location, I'll take all of us there." He said calmly as his eyes whirled to life, all the chakra was pulsing into them as he tried to focus. "It looks like my eye powers are finally returning…" he announced in relief as he watched the world become more refined and more detailed.

"Since when were your eye powers, weakened?" Naruto asked dumbly. "How the heck did that happen?"

"Investigating Kaguya's time-space dimension, entering that place, it requires a fair amount of chakra," he explained to the dobe. Well, it was comforting to know that the dobe never really changed. He felt Susanoo come to life around him as the chakra became visible and built up into the warrior shell of him.

"Now, just wait one second. You don't have any right to sit there and lecture me!" Naruto screeched.

"What the hell was with that fight of yours' earlier?" Sasuke taunted the dobe then. "Scaring the living crap out of the children like that, you've got issues," he tormented as he stood there letting Susanoo continue building upwards.

"OH HELL NO! I'm The One That Has Issues!? And Scaring The Living Crap Out Of Kids! That's Funny Coming From You!" the dobe was still too easy to bait. And it was a bit of a relief to know the dobe was still bait-able.

"Sarada," he heard the Akimichi girl hiss to his daughter then as they both gaped at the growing Susanoo. "Just who the heck is your dad?"

"I think it's safe to say he isn't exactly a 'good' guy."

The kid had no idea, he thought as a wicked smirk threatened to emerge then.

"But he's definitely amazing," Sarada murmured. He faltered for a moment as he stared at the daughter of Sakura and him. She was calling him amazing? What the hell had happened these past hours with her?

No matter, he just wanted to get his wife back to him, now, before he really lost his temper and destroyed all the dimensions there were known to man. Susanoo let out a roar as everyone was lifted in it. He could feel Sarada's eyes on him as he flew through the other dimensions. His eyes were searching for Sakura's familiar chakra.

He stopped in the dimension when he felt Sakura's backlash of chakra. He didn't know where she was, or what she was doing but he could feel the chakra blasts from her.

"It's around here," he announced as he stood over this barren wasteland. "Naruto can you pinpoint her location?" he demanded. If not then they'd do this his way and destroy everything until he found what he was looking for.

"On it!" Naruto informed him.

There was a blast of rock and he smirked as he moved towards that. That was his wife, he didn't need Naruto then as he moved Susanoo slash through the arm of Shin and separate him from Sakura as he pulled Sakura into Susanoo with him and gripped Shin with Susanoo's hand tightly.

Sakura came flying right into him as he caught her, his hand snaked around at the offending blades in her skin and yanked them out as he turned a part of his rage on that which had been able to harm what was his.

"Amaterasu," he snarled as he glared at the blades then dropped them as he looked at the pinkette he hadn't seen in damn near nine year

"Honey," she stared at him, then her lips turned into a smile as she stared at him. "Thanks," she breathed.

"You can heal the wound yourself now, right?" he demanded; he wasn't too certain after what they had argued about before he left. And if she dared to unlock that seal for this he was just going to patch her up himself, she was not using that damn seal! He still had nightmares over the information Tsunade had given him about using the seal.

"Yeah," she smiled as she looked him over. Sasuke was just relieved she was here and in one piece. He was half tempted to yank her into his arm and never let her go, and he was half tempted to throttle her for her stupidity and scary a few decades off his life.

"With his eye power back at full strength, Sasuke really is a beast," Naruto chuckled. Now he looked to his daughter and the Akimichi girl.

"Ah! Goddamnit! Why don't I get him as my dad!? Why does Sarada get him!?" she whined, he now had a feeling he knew where this identity crisis his daughter was suffering from came from. Honestly! Stupid kids had nearly gotten Sakura killed all because they didn't believe their parents were their parents. Stupid, stupid, stupid! He'd expect a move like that from the dobe or something! Not his own kid! No matter, he looked back to his wife who was fine; thank Kami for that.

Sakura's gasp had him looking over at the man he had thrown into the rocks and he saw him get stabbed just then by his own blonde clones.

Fan-fucking-tastic! There were more of them.

The hilarious part of this, at least in his mind, was that he hadn't even returned home to deal with the false Uchiha. He had returned to report his hunches about the Ōtsutsuki he'd been sent off to hunt. How was it he always came home in the midst of some horrid family drama?

"I had wondered why something like this hadn't already happened yet, but…" Sakura trailed off and he pulled his attention to the confused looking dobe and then back to his wife before returning his attention to the false Uchiha. Well, he wanted to go beat something up, now was as good as any time to do so…

The swarm of blonde false Uchiha irked and infuriated him as he released more power then.

Damn them all to hell!

"There's like a sea of them! I even see some chunky ones out there!" the Akimichi girl exclaimed.

"We'll leave those to you then, ChōChō! Sarada declared. He stopped; the kids were not getting involved and that was final!

"Perhaps they hit a few speed bumps while going through the cloning process," Sakura informed him.

"Hn," he grunted with a nod as he saw a giant one emerging.

"SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" Naruto roared, there was a sea of blonde dobes then charging false Uchihas, but he didn't care as he leapt up after the giant one. Susanoo would be a hell of an opponent for that big false Uchiha.

The ribs of Susanoo wrapped protectively around him as he materialized an arm and slammed it into the cheek of the big blonde tub of fat. Now he knew they weren't true Uchiha, no Uchiha would ever take a hit like that and stumble or even be hit in the first place. No matter, he turned in time when he heard Sarada shout.

"Sarada!" he shouted when he saw that Sharingan thing materialize behind the girls then. Sakura's eyes widened but his wife was too slow, Sarada on the other hand was already twisting around as she smashed her fist to the ground.

He looked to Sakura, she nodded and he nodded in return as he turned his attentions back to his fight.

It was when the earth erupted and he was again hit by a shock wave of chakra that he turned just then to see his daughter smashing the earth to rubble then.

He smirked, and she dared to doubt Sakura was her mother.

He retracted Susanoo as he landed beside Sakura. Sasuke was careful not to trust his wife because she hadn't even noticed him yet.

"Don't worry," he heard Naruto say to one of the kids as the clones of false Uchiha finally took a step back and stopped this stupid battle. They were all just kids. "He doesn't bite. Then again if you really want to cross this bridge here, then all bets are off."

"You're soft as ever," he grumbled as he leapt away from his wife and near the dobe then. "So then, what are we going to do about these guys?"

He was not adopting them. Sharingan or not, they were not coming home with him. He'd sooner resurrect Madara for a spar than that.

"Well… I was thinking…

"We've got an institution in Konoha for helping children in this situation. I could run it by the headmaster there," Naruto informed him. He frowned and then leaned over one of the nearest blonde kids to see the eyes.

"Although they're not fully developed yet, these guys definitely possess the Sharingan," he reluctantly informed Naruto. "Are you sure that institution of yours is going to be able to handle this?" he demanded.

"Yeah, at the end of the day we're still talking about kids, with proper discipline and training, they'll be useful members of society," Naruto insisted.

"Aa," he grumbled as he turned to find his wife and daughter again.

* * *

 **That's all for now folks.**

 **Enjoy Scarlet Spring =)**


	7. Chapter 7

**I Do Not Own Naruto**

 **Chapter 7**

"Sarada! Are You Okay!?" he heard Sakura shout, he was after her then, but stopped when he saw Sakura racing to their stunned daughter and pull her into a tight hug. "Making me worry like that…! Honestly, you'll be the death of me!"

Kami, he hoped not, he smirked as he watched the mother of his only child hug their daughter tightly. And Sarada dared to doubt her mother? How could she, from what he was seeing Sakura was a good mother in every sense of the word as she held onto Sarada.

"Sorry," he heard Sarada squeak out as she stared at him with wide oynx eyes.

"I'm so glad you're safe!" he heard from Sakura as she hugged Sarada to her.

"You're crushing me! Mom!" Sarada choked out.

"Sorry!" Sakura pulled away then and stared at her daughter. No doube she was noticing the red eyes again, she looked to him and he nodded then. "My baby!"

"Yeah, I know that. I don't care about all that stuff anymore, after all, we have our memories and our feelings. And the most important thing of all is our hearts are connected!" Sarada smiled weakly. Sakura stared at him, he shrugged; he was lost, all he had cared about today was getting her back and keeping Sarada alive, he had no idea what this was about.

"Dad!" he dragged his gaze from Sakura to Sarada then.

"Do you think, that your heart, is truly, connected to mom's?" Sarada asked, her red eyes whirling. He looked at Sakura then looked to the dobe who was giving him an expectant look.

Before he left he was going to have this entire mess sorted out, and no doubt Naruto was in the middle of it somehow. By the time he was done though he was going to have this all straightened up and the dobe was going to be black and blue.

"Yes," he answered flatly. He didn't feel the need to explain himself as he looked back to his wife who was smiling softly at him. How could they not be connected, she had been proclaiming her love for him since they had been five years old. Though she had been very annoying in the Academy he had come to accept her when she was a genin.

"But how can you be certain about that!?" Sarada persisted. He glared at her.

She dare question him!? And what he had been sorting out for nearly nine years!? And yes, he had sorted out everything he felt for Sakura these past years away from her. It had helped being away from her and Sarada to figure everything out. It had hurt like hell too, but it had helped him.

"Because we have you," he stated flatly. That was as simple as he could put it. The one other girl he had been with before Sakura hadn't mattered to him at all. And then there was Sakura. Everything, and he meant everything, everything he had to offer her, it was hers' and he had entrusted her with their daughter and his children should there have been more. Sakura was the only woman he'd even dare to entrust with something as precious as that. And they had fought about it too, they had argued about children, and they had been together for about the first three years of Sarada's life just figuring out how to be together.

If Sarada was not proof of his affections for Sakura, he didn't know what was.

Sarada sniffled then and Sakura smiled at him, he was just relieved that today's headache was over.

"Alrighty then, it's time we head home!" the dobe declared loudly. Sasuke scowled at the dobe.

He walked past Naruto, the false Uchiha and straight to his wife and helped her up to her feet. She leaned on him then as Naruto gathered all the false Uchiha and he lightly entwined their fingers so no one noticed this. Sakura pressed herself to him and brought herself up to her tiptoes then.

"What was all this about?" she whispered in his ear.

He shrugged.

"Ah, well, that kid is going to be interrogated when we get home and you're helping me!" she hissed. He smirked but nodded in agreement.

"Good, oh and Sarada, you are grounded for leaving the village gates without permission, supervision, or tell me! And you are grounded for scaring me and your father half to death!" Sakura informed Sarada.

Sarada gulped, Sakura's brilliant glare was turned on her daughter and the girl, ChōChō. Both girls looked nervous then.

"And ChōChō, you're not off the hook either, just wait until I tell your mother what you did! Both of you will be running laps around the village with Lee and Metal until I'm satisfied you two have learned your lesson about scaring me and Sasuke!" Sakura informed the girls' whose heads were sinking with each word.

"And Naruto!"

The dobe flinched then as he turned to face Sakura. Sakura pulled away from him as she stalked over to him, pulled her fist back and slugged him in the shoulder so he was knocked ofer.

"What the hell were you thinking! I mean honestly! They're ten! They aren't even out of the Academy yet and you drag them along with you to go meet Sasuke! You know the deal! And if they know what you did I'm fucked! You'll be the shortest reigning Hokage in the history of Hokage if you ever pull this stunt again with my daughter! I'll knock your ass to Suna and back and call Gaara for help! Don't ever put my daughter in danger again! And stop filling her head with nonsensical ideas that cause her to recklessly run off to meet Sasuke without knowing the full story!" Sakura was screaming at the dobe as she yanked his ear down to be level with her as she screamed at him.

Sasuke smirked and she spun her wrath on him.

"And you…!" she stalked towards him. His smirk widened as he then poked her brow then.

"I'm home," he informed her with a smile. She burst into tears then as she threw herself into his chest and clung tightly to him.

"Kami Sasuke! Would it have killed you to just say hi before getting me in trouble," she mumbled with a laugh as she hid her wet face in his neck. He shook his head. He was home, and it felt good for a moment as he held her to him. "And you're going to be busy with me tonight," she whispered.

"Aa," he agreed as she pulled away from him and frown.

"I want to go home now!" she snapped.

"Hn," he grunted.

"Don't be a teme now, teme!" Naruto whined. Sasuke said nothing as he looked at the surrounding false Uchiha then he summoned a huge Susanoo around everyone as his Rinnegan spun to life and started opening up the home dimenstion.

Sasuke managed to get all the blonde false Uchihas to the village orphanage, and was now walking home with his wife and the dobe while watching Sarada and ChōChō whispered to each other. He was exhausted but when he saw the gates he grabbed Sakura's wrist.

"Hm?" she looked at him then.

He shook his head, her eyes looked over to the gates then and her eyes widened as she stepped back to his side and grabbed his arm.

"You're not done are you?" she murmured.

"No, I came home to rely intel and rest for a minute before going back," he swayed a bit and Sakura tightened her grip on his arm. Damn, he over used his eyes! And his chakra! He leaned into her then, her green eyes narrowed and he saw the medic in her come to life.

"Well, as your doctor I'm ordering you a week of bedrest and if the council has a fucking problem with that then they can deal with me, you're coming home!" she hissed. "I'll have an apartment for us temporarily tomorrow and we'll figure out what to do from there. If anyone has a fucking problem with you being home, with me and Sarada, then they can deal with me. You've earned the right to be home for a week at least, you've been gone for eight, nearly nine years," she reminded him.

"Are you sure?" he murmured.

"Yes, you belong home." She was so firm on the matter he just leaned on her a bit as they walked to the gates of the village, he saw the disbelieving eyes at his arrival, but he ignored them. He stared at the starting point of the village. He glanced over to a silvery blonde; Ino, if he remembered correctly, and the Akimichi boy, now man, and clearly the father of ChōChō, Chōji.

Sarada was laughing at whatever was going on there as he took a step into the village.

"Hey Sasuke!" Ino shouted at him. He scowled at her as he stayed close to Sakura.

"What happened to the house?" he asked her remembering her words about finding an apartment.

"Uh… hehehe, uh… well, the first one was destroyed in an attack… and I accidently broke the second one," Sakura said as she turned redder and redder.

He sighed.

"That's what, house five?" he asked her.

"I think so, or four… hmm… we go through a lot of houses," she chuckled, she was still red though.

"Let's just go to the Uchiha compound for the time being," he sighed.

"Are you sure?" she whispered.

"No, let's go," he sighed.

"Alright," Sakura smiled as she leaned on him and he on her. Sasuke was exhausted now and only wanted to sleep. He heard Sarada chasing them as they walked a half forgotten route to a clearly abandoned part of the village; how this had survived Pain's attack was beyond him as they walked into the empty compound where he had grown up.

"The council won't look for you here," Sakura murmured as they unlocked the front door, they were instantly hit by the stale, dead air of the house. He stared at it, he hadn't the heart to burn it to ash, but he hatted this place more than anywhere else as Sarada looked around them.

"Where are we?" Sarada yawned.

"The Uchiha compound," Sakura answered as she and he walked in. He yanked a dusty sheet off the couch, pulled off his cloak, kicked off his sandals, dropped his sword and fell onto the couch in a groan. Sakura chuckled as she walked to stand at his head.

"Comfortable?" she inquired.

"Busy night tonight," he grumbled as he closed his eyes. She laughed as she walked away, he heard his daughter as she followed Sakura through the house then and looking through closets and cupboards. It wasn't the solution, he knew that, because he was not going to make his daughter live here, but for a week it would do for him as he helped his wife and daughter find another home.

His eyes closed and he sighed as another light sleep claimed him.

At least he hadn't lost his wife or daughter, their little escapade though was enough to worry him about their futures though.

And he was going to have to deal with the council breathing down his neck tomorrow and the Kage because he was here and he had no doubts they wanted the information he had been gathering. There was also the 'talk' the dobe wanted to have with him but it was all going to have to wait until tomorrow for tonight he was going to be busy. There were nearly nine years of celibacy to break for a wife who had been haunting his dreams for that long.

Fingers lightly touched his shoulder, his eyes snapped open and he stared at Sarada.

"Umm… could you, could you tell me about the girl in the glasses in this photo?" she asked as she pulled out a photo then, he stared at her old photo of his former team and then at her.

"That is Karin, a pain in the ass," he answered.

"Sasuke!" Sakura shouted at him.

"It's true!" he retorted and she appeared gaping at him. He stared at his wife. "And you're still annoying," he snapped.

She leaned on the doorframe then as she stood there laughing. He looked back to Sarada who was looking hurt and confused, he handed the photo back to her.

"Why?" he asked her. the girl blinked.

"I want to know who my mom is, Suigetsu did a DNA test and it said she was my mom," Sarada explained. He groaned.

He was killing Suigetsu when he saw him again! That asshole!

* * *

 **That's all for now folks.**

 **Enjoy Scarlet Spring =)**


	8. Chapter 8

**I Do Not Own Naruto**

 **Chapter 8**

"Sarada, go get the dobe and bring him here. We're going to have this talk all at once," he said through gritted teeth. Now he had a pretty good idea of what Sarada had been doing with dobe in Orochimaru's lair and the dobe was going to suffer for ever thinking him to be a cheat. He was a lot of things in his life, a traitor, terrorist, a killer, a hunter, a survivor, a thief, an overall bad person but he had never, nor would he ever, cheat on Sakura.

Sakura's fingers touched his hair then and he tilted his head to look bade at her as their daughter ran out of the house. He saw her green eyes wouldn't look at him and he grabbed her wrist as he sat up and pulled her to him. Drawing himself to his full height he tilted her chin back then, she still wouldn't look at him but he was undeterred by her hesitant attitude.

Kami only knew what had happened these last nine years for them, and this was the first time he was home and he'd not be having her thinking that he had cheated on her. Sasuke already knew she hadn't cheated on him, she hadn't even after all the hells he had dragged her heart through when they were younger, she had given him her virginity a stormy night and her heart since they were children. Sakura had never cheated, and he knew she never would cheat, on him even when he did deserve her betrayals or hatred. But she was still pure, he could see that as she wouldn't look at him.

"Um… it's alright Sasuke, I understand," she mumbled, she looked miserable and wouldn't look at him. He tilted over her, his lips lightly brushing hers' and causing her to flinch as she looked up to him.

"I missed that," he murmured to her. "And Sakura, sex has never been important to me. The only person I wanted was you," he assured her. "Besides, Karin?"

Sakura's spring eyes widen as she stared at him, then tears welled up in her eyes as she smiled and hugged him tightly. He wrapped an arm around her then and held her close. Nine years of celibacy was about to be shot to hell and he knew it, he could already feel the edges of his self-control wavering, and he was just holding her at the moment. Sakura gave a hiccup laugh into his chest as she pulled away from him, her head tilted back to stare at him with a wide smile.

"Just so you know, I never… not with anyone… either," she informed him shyly as she looked away while turning red.

"I know," he assured her as he pulled her up and kissed her again, it just felt too good to stop at this moment and it felt right to reassure them both that they hadn't hurt one another again. He looked up when he heard the dobe and Sarada coming again and poked her seal again as he pulled away from her.

"We'll finish this tonight," he assured her.

She turned red as she grinned and sauntered off. He just watched her go, feeling his Sharingan come to life as he engraved her image into his mind again. The door opened, he let his eyes evolve again as he turned his attention to the dobe and his daughter who were chatting animatedly.

"Both of you shut up, sit down and just pay attention because I'm only ever going to do this once!" he snapped at the dobe and Sarada, both flinched but his rage at being thought a cheater was still fresh as his Sharingan whirled to life and brought to life an ancient memory he often times tried to forget.

He cast it on both of those two for they wouldn't doubt him if they saw it.

 _Sasuke ran with a very agitiated Sakura, she was rubbing her flat stomach on occasions as hunted the false Uchiha in one of the worst storms he'd ever been in; aside from his wedding night. There was an occasional hiss of discomfort from her lips which had him concerned. They landed on a branch of a tree, he noticed where they were and knew there was a lair near here for Orochimaru,_

" _Come on," he said as he reached out and grabbed her arm as she swayed and guided her towards the lair. It wasn't going to be much but for a night it should be fine, he saw no problems with it for a night. Besides, Sakura appeared to be in excruciating, periodic pain through the day that had progressively gotten worse, he was concerned for her. A rest was what he felt she would need at this moment as he got her to the lair he knew of. Shoving the doors open he pulled her into the dimly lit area and shut the door behind him._

" _Oi! Who the fuck would dare to come to my lair!" a voice screeched, he pulled Sakura behind him then. Of course, of all the lairs she just had to be at this one, he cursed his luck for that as he stood between an obsessed fangirl and his wife. Karin stalked out of her corridor and stomped up to them, her scarlet eyes widened and her face turned dreamy, he just wanted to drag Sakura away with him but a low moan of pain from Sakura as her head rested on his back had him staying where he was._

" _Well, well, I didn't think you'd come here?" Karin purred, her short-shorts were riding low on her hips, her shirt was a mess too and honestly, she reminded him of a cheap prostitute. She gave him a toothy grin._

" _We need a room," he informed her flatly._

" _Ah Sasuke! I knew!"_

" _Not you, my wife and I," he snapped as he moved a bit for her to Sakura. Sakura just looked miserable, he noted, she looked sick to her stomach and in pain, he wanted her to rest for the time being and if she wasn't well soon he was taking her to a doctor._

" _Oh, well, I can't do that! Orders and all, Orochimaru's declared you an enemy and well, I'd never betray someone I work for," Karin started in on a rant then about how she wasn't helping him or Sakura and that Sakura would have to leave but if he wanted to stay there was a cost. Honestly he wasn't paying attention to her, Sakura leaned on him, again she seemed to be pained as she gave a low moan and rubbed her very flat, lower abdomen._

" _Karin, we've had a long month and if you would just be so kind as to give us room and board until this storm has passed then I would be grateful and I'll let you check Sasuke over while I have my bath. He's in dire need of a check-up and I'm too tired to give him one," Sakura cut Karin off, he stiffened in horror as he stared at the gleeful fiery woman then turned his glare on Sakura. Was she demented!? Sakura looked to him, he scowled and she shrugged._

 _Bitch!_

 _Yes, he had thought her to be a bitch just then, because he did not want Karin near his person! He had fended Karin off as a teenager and he hated the thought of his wife getting the wrong impression that he was keeping Karin as a mistress or something when Karin went nuts on him and tried to strip him for a physical. He'd sooner eat Amaterasu than deal with Karin's fangirl antics. But there was another moan of discomfort from Sakura as her head fell back._

" _DEAL!" Karin declared as she led them to a room. He rested his prosthetic hand on the small of Sakura's back as they walked to the room. Once in the room he shut the door on Karin before she could grab him and flipped the lock before turning his attention on Sakura who had disappeared into the bathroom of the room. He heard the water running and walked in on her sitting on the side of the tub as it was filled up._

" _What's wrong?" he demanded in an icy tone. He was terrified something was wrong with her, that she was ailing or something, but instead he found himself looking at very tired green eyes which were masking the pain he knew her to be in._

" _Nothing Sasuke, go get your check-up, I just need a hot bath and a good night's rest and I'll be fine tomorrow," she assured him with a tired smile which turned into a grimace as she looked away at the water in the tub. He grunted, she clearly wanted to be alone and he would leave her be, for the time being. Once she was asleep though he'd be back with her, of this he was going to make certain as he opened the door and walked out of the room to give her the peace she seemed to need._

" _Oh Sasuke!" Karin cried out, he paled._

 _Fuck. Him._

 _She grabbed his arm._

" _Get off!" he snapped._

" _Ah, but you need a physical, come on!" Karin said as she tugged at his shirt in the hallway then and there._

" _Karin I said get off!" he snarled as he caught her hands which were wandering too low for his comfort. Now, despite what a lot of people thought; including the idiots Juugo and Suigetsu, he had never, ever, not in a million life times, slept with Karin. Her antics annoyed him to death! Once he had walked into his room and she was sprawled out, very openly, and very naked he might add, on his bed and pleasuring herself trying to entice him into joining her. Sasuke had been more disgusted with her than interested with her._

 _After he had kicked her naked ass out of his room he had burned the bed and slept on the floor. He paid the inn so they could buy a new bed and left the topic alone. That had been at the beginning of Team Taka when he had been fifteen and she had just sixteen. That had been his first dealings with woman's anatomy and while he had been curious he had not been curious about Karin so he had avoided her. He had experimented a little in sex on his own, he had only been a teenager. Also, he had been trying to let Sakura go so she could be happy in life._

" _Don't be a tease, your wife is alright with this!" she whispered._

" _No, she's not, now get off!" he shoved her away from him again. He was not cheating on Sakura, however, he couldn't very well smack an annoying woman; even if he wanted too. He was_ _ **trying**_ _to be a good man and husband and he also had never liked beating up girls, but this didn't deter Karin, she tugged at the zipper of her shirt._

" _Come on Sasuke, what she doesn't know won't kill her," Karin purred._

" _Sasuke!" he heard Sakura shout and he reached for the door only for a certain redhead to get between him and his wife. His dark eyes narrowed on the foolish woman._

" _Move Karin," he ordered._

" _She doesn't really love you Sasuke, she offered you up to me," Karin pointed out. His eyes narrowed then, Sakura had been in pain since this morning after their round of sex in the shower. He sincerely doubted she didn't love him when she had made that deal, she had been in some sort of pain she was trying to ignore and hide from him._

" _Move Karin or I will kill you," he snarled._

 _A scream had him shoving Karin to the side, she grabbed his shirt and he heard the fabric tear as he yanked the door open and ran for Sakura. He found her leaning on the sink, clad in a towel holding herself up, blood running down her legs as she grimaced in pain then looked at him with wide, terrified, in pain, wild green eyes as she tried not to cry. He wanted to grab her and sooth her but he had no idea what the hell was going on as he stared at the dark rich blood sliding down her bare legs._

" _I think I'm miscarrying," she breathed and he blinked up to her as his heart froze. Miscarrying? Pregnant? Oh fuck! "Help!" Sakura cried out and he grabbed her to hold her up. He hadn't even noticed Karin behind him as he pulled a pained Sakura to him. Her grip on his forearms was crippling as she cried out in pain at moving._

" _Sakura, that chakra, it's alive!" Karin informed them as she stood before them both. He tightened his hold on her as she grunted again and tightened her hold on his arm; he winced at her grip. "That thing is alive, you're having a baby!"_

" _I'm_ _ **not**_ _pregnant! I can't be… AH! Kami! This hurts!" she hissed, he gritted his teeth when her hands tightened their hold, he heard something cracking but didn't pay it any attention; it was his prosthetic arm after all._

" _What do we do?" he demanded, his wife was clearly incapable of telling him what was going on so he looked to Karin then._

" _Get her comfortable, her body is doing all the work at the moment," Karin said as she went from flustered, rejected woman to a cool scienctist. He nodded as he helped a hobbling Sakura to the bed. Sakura was babbling about birthings and procedures, he just nodded and listened to her as he held her up, her towel was slipping but he knew she didn't care about that, he was more worried about the blood he saw coming more heavily down her legs._

 _She stumbled onto the bed, a low moan escaped her lips as her back arched and her legs parted. She never released his hand, but he never stopped staring at all the blood coming from her as she moaned in pain. Karin slipped between her legs, he would've been furious about this but she was checking the baby and Sakura at the moment; and she was about to be his wife's midwife so he would over look his dislike of Karin at the moment._

" _I see a head!" Karin announced, never looking up. "Sasuke, get behind her for support, Sakura, just breath and relax."_

 _He did as he was told for Sakura and held her close. His hand slipped around her as it rested on her abdomen to trace a light pattern over it as he remembered one of his uncles saying that it soothed pregnant women to have their bellies rubbed. Sakura swore as she gripped his other hand and pushed against him._

" _It hurts," she sobbed._

" _Shh, I know," he murmured as he pressed his lips to her temple. "I know," he whispered again as he stared at the pooling blood. Sakura was paling really fast, he was scared for her as her body worked to give birth to the baby they hadn't even known about._

" _Fuck! Here comes the head!" Karin shouted. He didn't care though as Sakura arched against him and screamed in her pain. Her hand crushed his and her other hand tore at the bedsheets. He just held her firm as his fingers traced her naked stomach._

 _Suddenly she went slack as she breathed and her head rested in the crook of his neck. He felt the tears, but he didn't look at her as he stared at the blood. Was there supposed to be this much blood? did she even have this much blood? Sakura was a very small woman so why the hell was she bleeding so badly?_

" _Got the baby!" Karin cried out, there was no crying though as Karin turned from them._

" _My baby," Sakura whispered as she tried to move, he held her still though, he was staring at the blood he was seeing pooling on the bed from her stillness. He looked to his wife then, her face was drenched in sweat and tears and it was deathly pale, something was wrong, but he didn't know what he was about to call to Karin when the redhead spun around with a smile filled with relief and a baby with wide black eyes staring at them._

" _She's alive!" Karin announced as she came over and handed the messy baby to Sakura. A girl, he noted to some degree of shock. Sakura smiled weakly, he looked to Karin who was looking at the blood as well._

" _She's beautiful," Sakura whispered and he saw her waver._

" _Sakura!"_

" _Shit Uchiha! She's losing a lot of blood! Hold the baby!" Karin shouted as she caught the falling baby from Sakura's limp arms._

Sasuke ended the memory there for there was no need for them to see what had happened after that. The dobe and his daughter blinked then.

"I can't believe you'd think I'd cheat on my wife!" he snapped to the dobe.

"Uh… well, you see, she just… um… hehe!" Naruto looked at a loss as he scratched his head. "Face it Sasuke, you're not the best guy around.

"I know, but I don't cheat, and you," he turned his attention on daughter who was blinking in shock at what she had just seen then. "Do not ever question who your mother is again. You look just like her! How could you even think she's not your mother!?"

"Mom and you don't have glasses," Sarada said flatly.

"She has a point," Naruto pointed out. Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose as he prayed for patience and thought fast; he was going to need a new seal for his daughter but he needed to explain her wearing glasses she probably didn't even need.

"My mother's father, your great-grandfather, wore glasses," Sasuke snapped remembering that oddity as a child. "And wearing glasses proves nothing Sarada, your mother nearly died to give birth to you, do not ever question this again."

"Alright," Sarada murmured.

"Good, and dobe, stop giving kids stupid ideas!" Sasuke snapped.

* * *

 **Posted two chapters today.**

 **That's all for now folks.**

 **Enjoy Scarlet Spring =)**


	9. Chapter 9

**I Do Not Own Naruto**

 **Chapter 9**

Sakura finally had Sarada set up in Sasuke's old room and she was out like a light when Sakura stumbled down the stairs to her husband who seemed to be sleeping on the couch. She flopped down beside him and closed her eyes as she heaved a heavy breath. Today had been a hell of a day, and she found herself to be exhausted.

"Well, that was a strenuous day," Sakura sighed. "I can't believe she thought Karin was her mother!"

"Hn," he grunted as he sat beside her and they stared at the ceiling of the Uchiha house, a place neither of them particularly liked. She looked to him, her fingers reached up to trace his cheek and he turned his head to look at her. Sakura smiled, his eyes were hood as he looked her over.

"I really, really missed you," she murmured and then she maneuvered herself so she was straddling his lap then, he adjusted himself so he was comfortable as his arm slid around her waist and he held her close, she smiled as she rested her brow on his, her hands cupping his face as her fingers traced his cheeks.

"Aa," he agreed and she felt his fingers moving against the material of her clothes. He initiated the kiss then, she gasped as she felt his hungry kiss, his mouth moved against hers' as hers' opened and she moaned softly at the invasion of him assaulting her senses. Her fingers dove into his shaggy hair, unevenly cut as she pressed herself closer to him and tightened her hold against him as her legs trapped his hips. She moved her hips to adjust herself when she felt his arm slip under her ass.

She gasped when he hauled them up, his mouth never left hers as they slammed into the wall. The breath was knocked out of her as he left her mouth and let his mouth travel over her skin. Wrapping her legs and arms clung to him as he sucked and nipped her neck. Her eyes fluttered close as half-forgotten sensations pulsed through her with a new desire.

"Mm, Sasuke," she breathed his name as he pulled away from her.

"The bedroom," she ordered. The last thing she needed on the list of things her daughter was apparently questioning, was her to see and question them about sex. He grinned as his mouth was on hers again, and he pulled her away from the wall, she tightened her hold on him as his only arm held her steady and he navigated the stairs to get them up to their old room. She fumbled with the door behind her when her back was pressed against it, her mouth never left his as he hungrily kissed her.

Finally she managed to get the door open which had her gasping in shock as they again tumbled to the floor. The startled gasp from her as they hit the ground turned into a laugh as she hugged him tightly to her. A soft chuckle escaped his lips to as his mouth again traveled over her throat and pulse.

"Impatient?" she chuckled as he closed their door, her legs rested against his hips as he loomed over her, there was a smirk on his lips as he pulled her up with him. They made it to the bed, they both tugged off the dust sheet and then she found herself pinned to the bed with his hands pinning her wrists over her head as his mouth was on hers again.

"Aa," he grunted against her mouth and released her wrists. She brought them to his cheeks again as they kissed. She felt his hand snake between them as it slipped under her tattered shirt she had started off wearing today and ruined and slid over her skin. A gasp escaped her lips as her head fell away from his, there was fire burning everywhere the tips of his fingers ghosted her skin.

He sat back as he tugged her tattered clothes off and stared at her with hungry red eyes then.

Sakura moved to cover herself, she was wearing a comfy sports bra; it was old, a little threadbare but it was her favorite because it gave support and it was so unbelievably comfortable! However, it was NOT a bra she ever, never ever, in a million years; wanted her husband to ever see! He grabbed her hands though and pinned them over her head as he looked her over.

"Don't," he murmured.

"Sasuke!" she whined, he kissed her lightly as he resumed his staring at her, then he released her hand as his fingers worked her bra over her head and off as he tossed it over his shoulder. Well, she was thankful he didn't destroy the already dying bra, but she had really wished he hadn't seen it at all.

"You've matured," he murmured, she stared at him with wide eyes. Well, she was almost thirty-two! However, she hadn't let herself go, she was never endowed, and her hips might be a bit wider but she was still pretty small in comparison to some of her friends who just seemed to mature with grace like Ino or Hinata or even Temari.

"You don't have to stare!" she hissed indignantly only to receive an actual smile from him as he came down to her. She glared as she squirmed, his hand held her hip still though with bruising force.

"That's not a bad thing Sakura," he murmured as he kissed her hard on her open lips and then his mouth traveled down her jawline, down her throat and nipped her collar bone. Sakura felt herself relaxing as her eyes fluttered shut against the sensations again. His tongue slid over her skin, his teeth grazed the swell of her breast and then his hot mouth was on her breast again as he sucked. A startled gasp escaped her lips as she clutched his head.

He was not gentle, he wasn't rough with her, but he was not gentled. The way his mouth was sucking her nipple made her think of a starving man as his tongue swirled over her skin and his teeth lightly teased her skin as he sucked on her with bruising force.

"Sasuke!" she moaned his name, or at least she thought it was his name as her head fell to the side and she squirmed some more. The light tugging of her waistband had her lifting her hips to aid him as he pulled her white pants off of her. She whimpered when he pulled away from her as he pulled her pants off, she stared at him.

It was déjà vu for them as she stared at him while wearing nothing but a pair of panties and her shoes. He came to her again, her calloused fingers sliding over her leg as he came between them and they halted on her panties. Green stared at wild red then as he ripped them, she laughed, and his mouth was on hers' again as she wrapped her legs around his hips and kicked her own shoes off then. He groaned as her own fingers slipped under his shirt and felt his warm skin.

"Sakura," he hissed as she flipped them, he landed on his back with a thud and a moan as his hand rested on her naked him, his fingers tracing nonsense patterns against her skin.

"Uh-uh, my turn, Uchiha, I've waited nearly nine years!" she murmured as she braced herself on his chest and kissed him softly. He was the one who transformed her sweet kiss into something hotter and hungrier as his fingers came up to pull her to him. Sakura's fingers fumbled with the buttons on his shirt as she tried to get him naked then. Frustrated with his buttons though she pulled away as she used some of her chakra strength to rip the shirt apart and grinned when she saw his body.

He laughed; an honest laugh; at her antics but she was grinning in delight as she slid her fingers over a body she had long since memorized, it was a little harder, a little older, and there were some new scars marring his skin, but it was Sasuke. He sat up and shucked his shirt off as his hand came to her hair again and he kissed her again, her fingers stilled on his chest as this kiss was slow for a change, it wasn't desperate or hungry as he kissed her lazily.

"Mn," she gasped when he pulled away from her.

"Sakura," he breathed her name against her ear as his teeth toyed with the lobe again and she closed her eyes pleasure.

Her fingers busy trying to undo his pants but it was hard to focus when his own fingers interfering with her goal as he cupped her. Her eyes flew open as she stared at him. He wasn't looking at her though as his mouth was busy on her pulse, her fingers her trembling as they stilled against the pants she had been trying to get rid of. She could feel his growing errection but she couldn't continue in her attempts to free him as his calloused fingers traced her slit.

"Kami Sasuke!" she gasped as her head fell back and she shoved her hips at him. His teeth nipped her pulse and her fingers lightly traveled up his abs then. He rocked his hips with hers, she groaned, partially in frustration and partially in relief when his thumb found her bundle of nerves.

His mouth was on hers' swallowing her scream when his finger slipped past her folds and into her.

When he pulled away he was groaning, she hissed a bit in discomfort at his intrusion. Nine years of no sex, it did things to the body apparently as she held onto him.

"Sakura," he groaned as he slowly started moving his finger in her. Sakura let out a low moan of pleasure and discomfort as her brow fell to his shoulder then.

"Mmm, slow tonight," she murmured in his ear.

"Hn," he grunted as they slowly fell into their old rhythm. Her body trembled with every move they made and her nerves were afire with every touch he graced her with. His fingers hadn't lost their skill, she noticed as his thumb teased her nerves and he slowly added another finger to the first, stretching her slowly and gently as he brought his mouth up to hers' again. She nearly came undone when he shifted his hips slightly and she felt that bulge of his growing errection.

"Sas…" she hissed in pleasure as her head fell back again. The tension was building in her stomach as her hips moved with his hand. He moved down her torso then and his mouth was on her breast again. She groaned as her fingers when from his shoulders to his hair again and she clung to him. The heat, the movements, it all felt too good as she felt that edge coming to her quickly.

"Almost," she pleaded as her eyes closed again and her body just felt. She was so close, she felt that orgasm coming, and it was within her reach as they moved.

"Sasuke!" she screeched when he dropped her on the bed and pulled out of her. Damn it! She was close! She scowled at him as she moved her own hands over her skin, he was up then, he fought off his pants and kicked them away as he came back to her. Sasuke's mouth was on hers' again as he settled between her legs. She didn't get to look at him as his hand grabbed her thigh with a bruising force; not that she minded, it had been a long time since she had had marks of his affections on her person. Her hands settled on his shoulders and red eyes stared at her.

Gently she moved, her own hand slipped between them as he stared at her. Their breathing was ragged when her fingers found him and then she wiggled her hips until they were aligned again. He groaned as he slowly slipped his tip into her. Sakura moaned as her head fell back against the bed again and she bit her lip so she didn't scream and wake Sarada.

Sasuke was slow with her, they both found it pleasurable but difficult for him to get into her, his hips slowly rocked into hers, and inch by inch he slid into her. Sakura just held onto him as she tried to meet his strokes, but she was trying not to scream at the pleasurable pain of being stretched again to accommodate him.

"Sasuke," she gasped when he was fully embedded in her. His hand never left her thigh, she stared at those whirling red eyes which were half closed in pleasure.

"Kami, Sakura! Tight," she heard him grunt out as his head fell into the crook of her neck as his hand came to grab hers' and entwined their fingers together. She moaned as he started moving and soon she was eagerly meeting his strokes. The heels of her feet dug into the bed as she rose to meet him with each thrust and his mouth was on hers again as the pleasure began building again. They never stopped, her back arched up to him as her free had clutched the sheets and she heard something rip again as she swore.

Everything was white behind her eyes as her body convulsed. She heard Sasuke swear as he too came to his release then. The warmth flooded her into then as he collapsed onto her, she smiled as she lay beneath him trying to catch her breath then.

"I'm glad you're home again," she murmured. He kissed her temple as he rolled off of her and pulled out of her, she whimpered at the loss and the juices which trickled out of her; she blushed at the feeling of the juices slipping out of her. Sasuke rolled onto his side and then his arm was around her waist as he pulled her into him and curled around her. Sakura smiled as their legs tangled again, she yanked a blanket over them then and burrowed into his chest.

"I love you, Sasuke," she murmured sleepily as her fingers rested on his calming heart.

"Aa," he grunted in agreement and she felt sleep take her as she smiled.

It had truly been one hell of a day! His hold on her tightened as sleep over came him too, and for the first time in nearly nine years she felt cherished again as they both slept in the same bed. Little did she know he wasn't asleep though as she curled up and held onto him with all her might.

* * *

Sasuke smirked as he curled around his tiny wife.

It felt really good to be home, and there was no way in hell he could stay away from her for another eight years after tonight! He was going to have to figure out how to finish his mission up sooner rather than later. Celibacy was going to be fucking impossible after tonight…

"Sasuke," she mumbled in her sleep. He smiled to himself as he finally let sleep over come him.

He had almost forgotten how good it could feel to be home. However, he would never again almost forget this heaven as he slept with Sakura in his grasp. It was the first good night's sleep he'd had in nine year, and it was the first good night's sleep in this village since before the massacre.

* * *

 **That's all for now folks.**

 **Enjoy Scarlet Spring =)**


	10. Chapter 10

**I Do Not Own Naruto**

 **Chapter 10**

Sarada woke the next morning and walked out of the unfamiliar room. Looking around she activated her Sharingan to look for her mother and father, she found their chakras together and followed them up the stairs to a shut door. Hesitantly she opened the door and poked her head into the room. Clothes were strewn about the room and she found herself creeping in, her eyes settled on the bed where her parents were sleeping together and her eyes widened. They were together, she didn't even have a picture of them together and yet… she felt something vaguely familiar about this sight as she tiptoed over to the bed.

Her father's arm was wrapped around her mother's bareback and rested on her hip while her mother was sprawled on her stomach hugging her father's bare chest. The sheets were a wreck around their lower bodies but she could see their feet tangled together and she smiled just knowing her parents could be together and so relaxed. She turned away from them and the first thing she noticed was two things which seemed to have fallen onto the ground.

Bending over she picked up two pictures and she stared dumbly at them.

One, it was of her mother and father, she'd never even seen it before, they were both pretty young too. Despite the faded quality of the photo she could see that it was her mother and father, her mother was smiling and her father… well, he looked indifferent. Her mother's short hair was done up nicely and she was standing in a white dress with a bouquet of pink sakura blossoms in hand and her father's arm was draped around her waist as he stood there dressed in black and looking at the camera. Sarada looked over to the bed then, this was not the photo of two young people in love but her mother had assured her repeatedly that she loved her father.

Sarada looked back at the second photo and blinked twice. It was a photo of her as a very small baby and her mom. Mom was clearly sleeping, and she was on her mom's chest, and she was looking at the camera with serious onyx eyes.

"Put them back, Sarada," her father's sleepy voice had her jumping as she looked back over to him and saw his sleepy onyx eyes looking directly at her.

"Why do you have these and not mom?" she asked as she walked over to his side of the bed and put the photos on his nightstand. She wasn't being accusing or anything but she was curious how come her mom didn't have wedding photos and her dad did.

"Because, I'm selfish and our house burned down," he yawned. Her mom grumbled and tightened her hold on dad. Sarada blinked at his explanation.

"Go downstairs, don't you have to get ready for the Academy?" he asked sleepily.

"Yeah," she answered.

"Get ready, I'll make breakfast," he grumbled. She smiled as she dashed out of the room.

* * *

"She's gone now," he murmured to his wife who cracked her eyes open and then looked at him with devious green eyes as she smiled and straddled his hips then.

"Well, we have ten minutes now before you make breakfast," she whispered and he smiled softly as his hand rested on her hip which she lifted up. He knew she was already soaked, she had been for the past hour since he had been tormenting her body in her sleep, and he was more than ready to have her for his breakfast now.

"Five minutes," he murmured.

"Seven," she groaned as she aligned herself and sunk onto him. He groaned softly at the feeling of that heat wrapping around him as she sunk onto him.

"Aa," he agreed with her then as she started riding him again.

* * *

The next week was about filling everyone in on what he had been learning for nearly nine years. This had convened a Kage summit here in the village as all Kage came to hear him speak. It was a little unsettling to have to deal with the five Kage together, especially since the leadership had transferred for the most part. Aside from Gaara and Naruto, he didn't know any of these other Kage; he hadn't exactly stuck around after the war to celebrate with everyone and he didn't intend too now either. After everything the Kage and the council had done to him he wasn't inclined to trust them or give them his loyalty. But he sure as hell would work with them so he could be home right now. He never wanted to leave home.

And aside from his few interactions with the Kage during his debriefings, he tried really hard to avoid them all like the plague while he was home.

Also, he had learned many things about what he had missed over the years while he had been traveling in other dimensions.

Sakura was head of the hospital. Ino was in charge of the intelligence division of Konoha's shinobi forces and her husband, Sai, was now in charge of helping train the ANBU. Shikamaru was the Hokage's assistant and the right hand man of Naruto (and in Sasuke's mind, probably the only reason anything actually got done in the village), his wife was the diplomat for Suna and Konoha. Kakashi was also in charge of his own division of shinobi, and the left hand man of the Hokage (apparently there was a joke in there somewhere but he didn't know where). Chōji was married to Karui and their daughter was best friends with his, he saw a lot more of Akimichi than he expected because of this. Hinata was head of her family now, to which he tipped his hat to her for that because it was a hell of a feat in his mind because he understood how those old families worked. Shino was an instructor for the Chūnin Exams and at the Academy, he was dating Inuzuka Hana. Tenten owned a nice weapons shop, her son Hyūga Hajime was on a Team with Sarutobi Mirai. Lee had a son named Metal with the exact same green jumpsuit and exuberant personality (he made a mental note to keep his daughter from Lee's son.) Kiba was apparently involved with a cat lady (that one nearly made him laugh; nearly). The dobe was obviously Hokage; even had his face carved in the mountain to prove it.

Sasuke though, didn't really care about everything he had missed on the years for if it was outside of his family, it didn't matter to him.

Over the course of the next week he got into a few habits he had had never had before.

One, he made breakfast for the family, usually after morning or shower sex with Sakura but still, he made breakfast for his daughter and his wife. That was a nice change of pace in his mind, and he liked eating with them because Sarada and her mother both always had things to tell him about.

Two, he took Sarada to the Academy every morning after Sakura had made her a bento. He liked the time with his daughter and enjoyed her comical explanations about everything in the village, even the annoying lessons on cellphones which he was no doubt going to forget about because he never used the damn thing. (No reception in most the places he went.)

Three, he spent his entire day with the Kage while giving detailed explanations, charts, graphs, images, and the inner working of the dimensions. He even handed over the samples he had gathered for their annalist. Which was all tiring but he understood the importance of the information he had been gathering over the years for the 'if' of all this. He kept a few things to himself, because he was still hunting and not sure about his prey in some ways, but other than those few details he was honest about everything he had gathered over the years.

Four, he picked Sakura up from the hospital every evening. She fussed at him that she was able to take care of herself, but since Sarada was usually with the Akimichi kid or running around with dobe jr. he found he wanted to pick his wife up in the evenings after her shifts. And after her yelling match with the council (of which she won because she would actually follow through with her threat to knock their asses to Kumo and back) he was home. And because he only had a week with Sakura and Sarada he would be enjoying every minute he had with them when he wasn't with the Kage or council or the ANBU. He also ignored the dirty looks the villagers gave him when he walked with Sakura because he cherished his time with his wife.

Five, family diners, Sakura cooked those for them and he would sit at the table as Sarada told him all of what she had been doing. He liked this feeling of family, he hadn't felt it in a long while. Which brought him to something else he did just about every evening which was look over apartment listings for Sarada and Sakura because they were not staying in the Uchiha compound.

Six, after Sarada was asleep he had Sakura all to himself, all night long and he did not let up on her until it was almost dawn. She was his, and after nearly nine years of celibacy he couldn't stop once he got his hand on her. Sakura didn't help matters though as she was also all over him the moment they were alone; thank Kami for that because otherwise he'd have felt like a horny teenager out of control and embarrassingly wanting most of the time.

But a week slipped by quickly which brought him to where he was today.

Naruto had made a bargain which would have him home for his daughter's Chūnin Exams, thank Kami, for even if he didn't have information about what he was looking for he did want to see her continue to thrive as a growing shinobi.

Which brought him to where he was with his wife and his daughter right now at the huge gates of the village ready to leave. He was walking away without saying goodbye this time when Sarada piped up.

"Will you be away for a long time again?" Sarada piped up and he turned around to look at his wife and his daughter. Sarada looked ready to cry, but Sakura was holding herself up stoically then. She touched Sarada's shoulder softly then as she smiled sadly at him. He sighed as he walked over and knelt to his daughter's level. He didn't think about it as he yanked his daughter to him and hugged her tightly then.

"Dad!?" she squeaked, he pulled away then as she sniffled.

"I don't like that expression on your face," he informed her. It was that face Sakura made when she was trying to cry when she was hurting and trying to hide it at the same time.

"Until next time," he said softly as he then tapped her brow as he had once again. The girl's onyx eyes widened as she stared at him and he pulled away to stand again as she turned red and rubbed her brow then peeked at her mother who was smiling a knowing smile.

He softened at the sight of Sakura again as she stepped up to him.

"Here's your lunch," she grinned and handed it to him, he was remembering this morning in the shower when she had been clinging to him as he slammed her into the tiled wall of the shower.

"Aa," he nodded his thanks as he took the lunch. She blushed a bit, he knew she was remembering everything they had done together over the past week. She gave him a devious look as she took a step nearer to him, he knew what she was waiting for and he was tempted to give it to her.

There was only one problem, if he kissed her again he was not going to stop.

"Well then, I'm off," he informed his girls as he spun away and walked off quickly before he dragged Sakura off with him. He could feel her exasperated, amused disappointment as he walked away. He felt her waving him off and he smiled a bit as he tightened his hold on the lunch Sakura had given him.

This past week had been his heaven, and now he was off to continue his hunt so he could come home permanently.

He peeked over his shoulder as he walked away to see Sakura and Sarada's back to him, their Uchiha crests visible, and walking away hand in hand.

He'd be home soon.

* * *

 **To anyone wanting to know more about Sarada's birth, read Until the Day I Die, it's going to take a little time, but I will hopefully have it up again soon.**

 **That's all folks.**

 **Enjoy Scarlet Spring =)**


	11. Good Bye

Hello,

Alright, so I really don't care if you're about to hate me, or if you're about to pull the 'I'm extremely disappointed in you' act because I'm doing this for me.

The Until the Day I... Series is discontinued; as a whole.

No this is not a single ship's doing, though I do admit that the harassment I received did push me out of the fandom it's not what's making my decision to stop this series.

The decision to stop this series stems from the simple fact that for me writing should not feel draining. I should not feel this all consuming dread just by opening a word doc with the intention of writing a part for Until the Day I..., any of them. I shouldn't feel this all consuming exhaustion to come back to a fandom that drained me, and I shouldn't feel drained to begin with.

I love writing. It's that simple.

I love the peace of mind it gives me, I love the flow, the structure, the style, the humor, the way characters evolve into their own persons. I love original fiction writing for many more reasons, and I like fanfiction writing. I like the peace.

I no longer find peace in the Naruto fandom.

I no longer feel welcomed in this fandom.

And to be very frank, even writing this simple notice filled me with a dread I cannot even communicate because I'm exhausted. My real life is slowly destroying me, even as I work really hard to change it, and writing is something I love. It's honestly one of the very few things I love. I don't want to open a Word Doc, and feel nothing but dread.

So yes, I apologize to those who have enjoyed this series from the start that it is discontinued.

The original parts of Until the Day I Die and Until the Day I happen will be posted on a long weekend of mine when I have one, and then I'm done.

I'm out of the Naruto fandom.

I hope for those who have found this series entertaining that it was at least of a solid quality.

That's all folks.

I hope you enjoyed Until the Day I... =)


End file.
